, 

STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL 

VOICE   CULTURE 


ELOCUTION 


BY 

WM.   T.  ROSS,  A.M. 


"True  Art  is  to  Conceal  Art." 


f-OF 
DEPARIHI OF  -DRAMATIC  - 

NEW  YORK : 
THE  BAKER  &  TAYLOR  CO. 

SAN  FRANCISCO  : 
PAYOT,  UPHAM  &  CO. 

1890. 


ART 


COPYRIGHT,  1886,  BY  WM.  T.  ROSS. 
All  rights  reserved. 


COPYRIGHT,  1887,  BY  WM.  T.  ROSS. 


COPYRIGHT,  1889,  BY  WM.  T.  ROSSe 


COPYRIGHT,  1890,  BY  WM.  T.  ROSS. 


Press  of  J.  J.  Little  &  Co. 
Astor  Place,  New  York. 


PREFACE. 


VOICE  CULTURE  AND  ELOCUTION  is  a  text-book 
combining  in  a  practical  form  the  following  featured  : 

1.  Clear  and  concise  statements  and  explanations  of 
principles  ; 

2.  Explicit  and  full  directions  for  exercise  under  the 
rules  ;  and 

3.  A  liberal  supply  of  carefully  selected   sentences 
and  paragraphs  for  study  and  practice. 

The  exercises  in  Calisthenics  and  in  Gesture  will  be 
found  ample  for  physical  culture,  and  for  the  develop- 
ment of  ease,  grace  and  versatility  in  gesture. 

The  chapter  on  the  Organs  of  Speech,  with  the  ac- 
companying illustrative  cuts,  may  be  made  valuable  as 
an  auxiliary  to  the  mechanics  of  elocution. 

The  pages  devoted  specially  to  Voice  Culture  con- 
tain many  valuable  hints  and  exercises  for  the  develop- 
ment of  clearness,  quality,  compass,  volume,  strength, 
resonancy,  flexibility  and  control  of  voice,  and  will  be 
found  as  valuable  to  the  student  of  Singing  as  to  the 
student  of  Elocution. 

Articulation  receives  the  attention  its  importance 
merits,  and  the  exercises  and  directions  are  particu- 
larly full  and  explicit. 

Under  the  head  of  Modulation  and  Expression,  the 
arrangement  of  topics  is  made  as  logical  as  is  possible 
with  a  subject  that  covers  so  much  ground,  and  in 


iv  PREFACE. 

which   the  subdivisions  are   so   interdependent.     The 
sentences  and  paragraphs  designed  for  the  exemplin-  • 
cation  of  rules  and  principles  have  been  selected  as 
much  for  their  literary  worth,  as  for  their  adaptation 
to  the  purposes  of  illustration. 

Though  not  a  large  collection,  a  marked  feature  of 
the  book  is  the  choice  list  of  Selections  for  parlor  and 
public  recitals.  Many  of  the  pieces  are  new  and  of 
the, highest  order  of  merit. 

While  VOICE  CULTURE  AND  ELOCUTION  is  particu- 
larly adapted  to  the  work  in  Schools  of  Elocution,  and 
is  specially  arranged  for  use  as  a  text-book  in  the 
Higher  Schools  and  Colleges,  its  explicit  directions 
make  it  equally  valuable  as  a  guide  for  self-instruction. 

An  important  feature  of  the  book  is  the  progressive 
arrangement  of  its  lessons,  adapting  it  to  the  needs  of 
pupils  of  different  grades. 

An  Author's  edition — published  in  1886 — was  so 
favorably  received  by  teachers  of  elocution  and  other 
educators,  that  a  second  edition  was  imperatively  de- 
manded. The  present  book  is  the  result  of  a  most 
careful  revision  of  the  former  work,  after  the  experi- 
ence of  actual  use  in  the  class-room,  and  is  besides 
enlarged  and  otherwise  improved.  Among  the  new 
features  will  be  found  the  following  : 

1.  Plates  illustrating  the  Organs  of  Speech  ; 

2.  Additional    exercises  and  illustrative  "cuts"   in 
Voice  Culture  ; 

3.  Authority  references  that  will  enable  the  student 
to  learn  the  "  context "  of  the  passages  quoted  ; 

4.  A  list  of  the  Emotions  and  Passions  of  the  mind, 
with  an  appropriate  sentence  or  paragraph  for  the  ex- 
emplification of  each  ; 


PREFACE.  V 

5.  A  more  carefully  edited  list  of  Selections,  com- 
prising   among    their   number   several    new  and  rare 
poems  ;  and, 

6.  In  addition  to  the  full  Table  of  Contents,  a  com- 
plete Index  to  the  longer  quotations,  and  to  the  selec- 
tions for  readings  and  recitations. 

It  has  been  the  aim  of  the  author  to  embody  in  this 
work  the  course  of  instruction  which  has  resulted  from 
an  experience  of  more  than  twenty-five  years  in  the 
profession, — a  course  that  has  stood  the  test  of  practi- 
cal experiment. 

To  his  early  instructors — among  them  distinguished 
voice-culturists  and  teachers  of  elocution — the  author 
would  gratefully  acknowledge  his  obligations. 

In  the  hands  of  the  intelligent  student  and  the  faith- 
ful teacher,  it  is  confidently  believed  that  this  text- 
book will  be  a  valuable  aid  toward  the  acquisition  of 
the  Art  of  Elocution. 

Besides  original  copyrighted  selections,  permission 
for  the  use  of  certain  extracts  and  selections  has  been 
kindly  granted  by  the  authors  or  publishers  of  the 
same.  Among  the  latter  are  Houghton,  Miffiin  &  Co., 
S.  C.  Griggs  &  Co.,  and  the  Baltimore  Publishing  Co. 

To  HIS  PUPILS,  and  to  all  others  interested  in  the 
noble  Art  of  Expression,  the  author  would  beg  leave 

tO  DEDICATE  THIS  VOLUME. 

W.  T.  R. 

SAN  FRANCISCO,  CAL.,  1887. 


PREFATORY    NOTE    TO    THE 
THIRD   EDITION. 


THE  very  general  adoption  of  "  Voice  Culture  and 
Elocution  "  as  a  text-book,  since  the  publication  of  the 
Revised  Edition,  has  induced  the  author,  in  the  hope 
of  still  further  increasing  its  usefulness,  to  add  in  the 
present  issue  about  thirty-eight  pages  more  of  such 
selections  as  are  best  adapted  to  the  elocutionary  work 

of  the  higher  schools  and  colleges. 

W.  T.  R. 
SAN  FRANCISCO,  CAL.,  1889. 


PROPERTY  OF 
DEPARTMENT  OF  DRAMATIC  ART 


CONTENTS. 


PREFACE iii 

CONTENTS vii 

INTRODUCTORY  : 

Province  of  Elocution xiii 

Benefits  to  be  Derived  from  its  Study xiv 

ELOCUTION  : 

Voice — Action — Gesture I 

Voice  Qualifications I 

CALISTHENICS  : 

Exercises — Chest — Arm — Body — Head — Instep 3 

"             for  Wrist  and  Arm  Relaxation 7 

Indian  Dance 8 

GESTURE  : 

Province  and  Aim 9 

Position — Steps — Arms  at  Rest 10 

Initial   Movement — Unfoldment — "  Ictus  " 15 

Intellectual  Basis  and  Scope 17 

Notation— Directions — How  to  Practice 18 

Exercises — [Hand] — Supine — Prone — Vertical — Index. . .  22 

Clinched— Clasped— Folded— Wringing 28 

Grossed  on  Breast — Applied 30 

Preparation  for  the  Gesture 31 

Miscellaneous  Examples 33 

SIGNIFICANT  GESTURES  : 

Pantomime  Language 38 

Head — Eyes — Arms — Hands — Body 39 

ORGANS  OF  SPEECH  : 

Breathing — Voice — Articulation — Illustrative  Cuts 45 


Viii  CONTENTS. 

BREATHING  EXERCISES  :  PAGB 

Abdominal — Blowing  and  Sipping  the  Breath 55 

Full  and  Deep — Audible  Expulsion 56 

Deep  Breathing  while  Walking 57 

Effusive — Expulsive — Explosive ....    58 

VOICE  CULTURE  : 

Necessity  for  a  Good  Voice — Free  Throat 61 

Definitions, — Time,  Quantity,  Quality,  etc 63 

Exercises, — Production  of  Tone — Pure — Glottis  Stroke . .  64 

Projecting  the  Tone — Flexibility  of  Voice — Illustrated. . .  70 

\       Exercises  for  Mouth — Tongue — Lips — Illustrated 72 

ARTICULATION  : 

How  to  Improve  the  Articulation 78 

Classification  and  Formation  of  the  Elements 79 

Elementary  Sounds, — (Phonetic  Arrangement) 81 

Exercise  in  Combinations — [Tables] 83 

Difficult  Combinations  with  Words  and  Sentences 90 

Table  of  Vowels  with  Diacritical  Marks 109 

Analysis  of  Words ill 

Vowel  Sound  Practice  in  Sentences 113 

Reading  by  Vowel  Sounds 130 

Sentences  of  Difficult  Articulation 130 

An  Alphabetical  Alliteration 133 

Pronunciation, — A  Habit — How  to  Practice 134 

Exercise  of  Difficult  Pronunciations 135 

MODULATION  AND  EXPRESSION  : 

Definitions,— Pitch— Force — Stress 138 

PITCH  : 

Exercises  for  Increase  of  Compass 140 

Middle — High — Very  High — Low — Very  Low 143 

FORCE  : 

Loud  and  Abrupt — Smooth  and  Subdued 148 

General  Rules  for  Emphasis  with  Exercises 149 

STRESS  : 

Monotone  —  Median — Intermittent — Expulsive  and  Ex- 
plosive Radical 151 

Terminal — Compound — Thorough 160 

Laughter, — Exercises  for  Practice  of  Different  Kinds. . . .    163 


CONTENTS.  ix 

INFLECTION  :  PAGE 

General  Rules  for  the  Rising  and  Falling  Slides 167 

Cadence 170 

TIME  : 

Quantity  and  Movement 1 72 

PAUSE  : 

Rhetorical 177 

Cesural 179 

Before  and  after  <c  Inverted  "  Words 179 

RHETORICAL  ANALYSIS  OR  GROUPING: 

Exercises 181 

"  Simile  " 184 

EMPHASIS  : 

By  Force,  by  Time  and  by  Slide 185 

Emphasis  Relative  not  Absolute 188 

Antithesis — Emphatic  Repetition — Climax 189 

The  Significance  of  Modulation,  Emphasis  and  Pause. . .  195 

TRANSITION  : 

In  Expression  and  in  Personation 197 

QUALITY  : 

Exercises  in  Pure  and  Impure. ...    t. .   200 

Imitative  Modulation 202 

RHYTHMUS  AND  MELODY  : 

Measure  of  Speech — Exercises  with  "  Notations  " 205 

STYLE  : 

Colloquial — Declamatory — Dramatic — etc 211 

LANGUAGE  OF  THE  EMOTIONS  AND  PASSIONS  : 

Illustrative  Paragraphs  Alphabetically  Arranged 225 

HINTS  TO  THE  STUDENT  OF  ELOCUTION 238 

HAMLET'S  ADVICE  TO  THE  PLAYERS 243 

ADVICE  TO  SPEAKERS 244 

INDEX  TO  THE  LONGER  QUOTATIONS 321 

INDEX  TO  READINGS  AND  RECITATIONS 362 


SELECTIONS. 


PAGB 

THE  KITCHEN  CLOCK .John  Vance  Cheney.  246 

BARNYARD  MELODIES Fred  Emerson  Brooks.  248 

THE  HERO  OF  LAKE  ERIE Fred  Emerson  Brooks.  251 

CREEDS  OF  THE  BELLS Geo.  W.  Bungay.  254 

AN  ORDER  FOR  A  PICTURE. Alice  Gary.  256 

THE  RIDE  OF  JENNIE  M'NEAL Will  Carleton.  259 

AN  INCIDENT  AT  SEA. William  T.  Ross.  262 

THE  PETRIFIED  FERN 263 

THE  INFINITE  MOTHER Jas.  G.  Clark.  264 

SHERIFF  THORNE ..../.    T.    Trowbtidge.  266 

THE  GOLDEN  GATE Madge  Monis.  269 

THE  HUNCHBACK  SINGER 271 

How  LOVE  CAME  FLYING  IN  AT  THE  WINDOW 272 

WHAT  CONSTITUTES  A  STATE Sir  Wm.  Jones.  274 

HENRY  V.  TO  THE  CONSPIRATORS.  .  e Shakespeare.  275 

THE  FUNNY  STORY Josephine  Pollard.  276 

THE  SPINNING- WHEEL  SONG ./.  F.  Waller.  277 

TROUBLE  IN  THE  AMEN  CORNER T.  C.  Harbaugh.  279 

MARION  MOORE .Jas.  G.  Clark.  282 

WORLDLY  WISDOM Ethel  Lynn.  283 

THE  MIRACLE  OF  CANA Fred  Emerson  Brooks.  284 

LUELLA John  Vance  Cheney.  286 

SMITING  THE  ROCK 287 

SONG  OF  THE  MYSTIC Father  Ryan.  290 

MONEY  MUSK B.  F.  Taylor.  292 

THE  ISLE  OF  LONG  AGO.  . B.  F.  Taylor.  294 


SELECTIONS.  XI 

PAGH 

TOM Constance  F.  Woolson.  295 

THE  FROG  AND  THE  FRENCHMAN Fred  E.  Brooks.  297 

THE  POWER  OF  HABIT J.  B.  Gottgh.  299 

THE  FIELD  OF  WATERLOO Byron.  301 

TEAMSTER  JIM K.  J.  Burdette.  303 

WHAT  MY  LOVER  SAID Homer  Greene.  305 

TELL  ON  His  NATIVE  HILLS Knowles.  307 

IF  WE  KNEW 308 

RAIN  ON  THE  ROOF Coates  Kinney.  310 

CROSSING  OF  THE  RUBICON Knowles.  311 

THE  TRAMP  AND  THE  CUR Fred  Emerson  Brooks.  312 

CHARGE  OF  THE  LIGHT  BRIGADE Tennyson.  315 

NAPOLEON  BONAPARTE Phillips.  317 

A  SIMILAR  CASE 318 

UNDER  THE  DAISIES  319 

TRUTH  IN  PARENTHESIS Hood.  310 

TELL'S  APOSTROPHE  TO  THE  ALPS Knowles*  321 

THE  DYING  KNIGHT 322 

LIBERTY  AND  UNION Webster.  325 

MARULLUS  TO  THE  ROMAN  POPULACE. Shakespeare.  325 

DON'T  RUN  IN  DEBT Eliza  Cook.  326 

Do  IT  YOURSELF 328 

POPULAR  ELECTIONS George  M'Duffie.  329 

PARALLEL  BETWEEN  POPE  AND  DRYDEN./V.  Samuel  Johnson.  330 

THE  WIND  AND  THE  MOON George  Macdonald.  331 

LASCA  ...... F.  Desprez.  334 

IGNORANCE  IN  OUR  COUNTRY  A  CRIME Horace  Mann.  337 

THREE  DAYS  IN  THE  LIFE  OF  COLUMBUS Delavigne.  338 

OUR  FOLKS Ethel  Lynn.   340 

CATILINE'S  DEFIANCE Croly.  342 

LET  us  TRY  TO  BE  HAPPY 344 

MARCO  BOZZARIS Halleck.  345 

THE  EXPUNGING  RESOLUTION,  1837 Clay.  347 


Xii  SELECTIONS. 

PAGE 

THE  RIGHT  TO  TAX  AMERICA Burke.  349 

SOUTH  CAROLINA  IN  THE  REVOLUTION Hayne.  350 

EULOGIUM  ON  MASSACHUSETTS Webster.  351 

REPLY  TO  MR.  CORRY Grattan.  352 

THE  AMERICAN  REVOLUTION   Patrick  Henry.  353 

LIBERTY  THE  MEED  OF  INTELLIGENCE Calhoun.  354 

THE  CURSE  OF  REGULUS .Kellogg.  355 

ABSALOM  BESS Shillaber.  357 

INDEX 359 

[Selections  found  in  body  of  book  :\ 

THE  BUGLE  SONG Tennyson.     68 

AN  ALPHABETICAL  ALLITERATION 133 

SELECTION  OF  DIFFICULT  PRONUNCIATION 135 

WIT,  ITS  EFFECTS  ON  DIFFERENT  CHARACTERS.  Sydney  Smith.   144 

USES  OF  ADVERSITY Shakespeare.  212 

BOUDOIR  SCENE  FROM  LUCILE Bulwer.  218 

QUALITY  OF  MERCY Shakespeare.  219 

SPEECH  OF  SEMPRONIUS  ^ Addison.  219 

FALSE  FRIENDSHIP Croly.  220 

ALAS  !    How  LIGHT  A  CAUSE Moore.  221 

HAMLET'S  ADVICE  TO  THE  PLAYERS Shakespeare.  243 

ADVICE  TO  SPEAKERS Judge  Story.  244 


INTRODUCTORY. 


THE  importance  and  utility  of  Elocution  is  so  gener- 
ally conceded,  and  so  fully  appreciated,  that  it  is  only 
necessary  here  to  give  a  brief  summary  of  its  scope, 
and  to  mention  a  few  of  the  uses  to  which  it  may  be 
applied. 

Elocution  does  not  consist  in  mere  imitation  of  the 
voice  and  manner  of  the  teacher,  nor  in  the  learning  to 
recite  pieces  as  a  parrot  learns  to  talk. 

Its  province  is  to  aid  the  pupil  in  acquiring  ease, 
grace,  and  versatility  in  gesture. 

To  impart  a  knowledge  of  correct  breathing,  and  the 
art  of  utilizing  the  breath  in  the  proper  production  of 
tone. 

To  discipline  and  develop  the  voice  in  qualities,  com- 
pass, strength,  flexibility,  and  control. 

To  improve  the  articulation  so  that  each  element  may 
have  its  correct  and  due  amount  of  sound  in  the  enun- 
ciation of  words. 

To  communicate  a  practical  knowledge  of  the  prin- 
ciples and  rules  in  modulation  and  expression. 

And  to  teach  the  pupil  the  art  of  using  the  rules  and 
exercises  of  elocution,  not  as  the  end  and  aim  of  the 
study,  but  as  the  means  for  the  better  expression  of 
thought  and  emotion. 

By  such  a  course  of  instruction  the  individuality  of 
the  student  is  best  preserved.  This  is  a  matter  of  the 
greatest  importance — especially  to  one  who  has  marked 
natural  ability. 


XIV  INTRODUCTORY. 

The  true  province  of  elocution,  therefore,  is  not  to 
make  a  person  tess,  but  more  natural. 

The  following  are  some  of  the  benefits  to  be  derived 
from  the  study,  and  the  uses  to  which  the  art  may  be 
applied. 

Elocution  is  a  means  for  artistic  and  intellectual  cul- 
ture. 

It  is  an  accomplishment. 

It  improves  the  conversational  powers. 

To  the  possessor  of  the  art,  it  is  a  solid  satisfaction, 
and  it  enhances  the  enjoyment  of  society. 

It  is  the  best  form  of  gymnastics — exercising  in  a 
salutary  manner  the  most  important  functions  of  mind 
and  body. 

Through  a  proper  direction  of  its  breathing  and  vocal 
exercises,  it  is  made  an  invaluable  factor  for  the  pre- 
servation and  restoration  of  health. 

It  stimulates  thought  through  the  reflex  influence 
which  well-spoken  vwords  are  known  to  have  upon  the 
mind  of  the  speaker. 

It  aids  in  getting  a  higher  appreciation  of  the  beau- 
tiful and  grand  in  literature. 

It  brings  out  the  subtler  meanings  of  language  through 
the  proper  enunciation  of  the  words. 

It  is  one  of  the  three  essential  branches  of  oratory,  and 
necessary  to  the  highest  success  in  public  speaking. 

To  all  instructors,  needful ;  to  the  teacher  of  read- 
ing, indispensable. 

It  is  most  essential  to  the  study  of  drama,  and  im- 
portant as  a  preparation  for  the  actor's  calling. 

"  There's  a  charm  in  delivery,  a  magical  art, 
That  thrills  like  a  kiss  from  the  lip  to  the  heart ; 
'Tis  the  glance,  the  expression,  the  well-spoken  word, 
By  whose  magic  the  depths  of  the  spirit  are  stirred." 


PROPERTY  OF 
DEPARTMENT  OF  DRAMATIC  ART 

VOICE  CULTURE 


AND 


ELOCUTION. 


We  must  exclude  everything  from  the  definition  of  language,  but  actual 
speaking,  *  *  *  *  It  is  only  by  the  spoken  word  that  the 
speaker  breathes  his  own  life  into  the  souls  of  his  hearers. 

—  Wilkelm  Von  Humboldt. 

Delivery  has  the  sole  and  supreme  power  in  oratory.— Cicero. 

ELOCUTION  is  the  Art  of  expressing  thought  and 
feeling  by  means  of  Voice  and  Action. 

VOICE  is  the  result  of  air  made  audible,  in  its  passage 
from  the  lungs,  by  the  action  of  the  vocal  ligaments. 
It  becomes  Speech  when  individualized  by  the  organs 
of  resonance  and  articulation. 

ACTION  is  pantomime  language ',  appealing  to  the  eye. 
It  comprises  all  the  physical  means  for  communicating 
thought  and  feeling. 

GESTURE  is  a  term  synonymous  with  Action,  and  is 
the  one  more  commonly  used.  It  embraces  Position, 
Poise,  and  Movement. 

THE  VOICE  QUALIFICATIONS  essential  to  a  good  elo- 
cution, and  which,  if  not  already  possessed  by  the  stu- 
dent, must  be  acquired  through  the  development  and 
culture  of  the  organs  of  speech,  are, 


2  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

1.  Fullness,  Strength,  Clearness,  and  Resonance. 

2.  Distinctness  and  Correctness  of  Articulation. 

3.  Perfect  adaptation  and  control  of  voice  through 
the  variations  in  Pitch,  Stress,  Time,  and  the  other  ele- 
ments of  vocal  expression. 


CALISTHENICS. 

The  wise,  for  cure,  on  exercise  depend. — Dry  den. 

A  FEW  Calisthenic  exercises  should  precede  Gesture. 
They  will  contribute  freedom  and  strength  to  the  trunk 
and  limbs.  The  following  will  be  found  ample  for  the 
purposes  intended. 

Each  movement  should  be  repeated  five  to  twenty 
times,  depending  upon  the  difficulty  of  the  exercise, 
and  upon  the  strength  and  convenience  of  the  pupil. 
Ten  to  twenty  minutes,  once  or  twice  a  day,  may  be 
profitably  devoted  to  systematic  physical  exercises. 

POSITION. — Weight  of  the  body  equally  on  both 
feet,  heels  together,  and  toes  extending  to  the  right 
and  left  at  an  angle  of  sixty  degrees.  Head  erect, 
shoulders  well  back,  and  arms  by  the  side — the  mili- 
tary position.  This  is  the  attitude  of  attention,  or 
"first  position." 

CHEST  EXTENSION. — With  the  arms  extended  in 
front,  palms  together,  throw  the  arms  horizontally  back- 
ward, then  return  to  the  front  on  the  same  line,  keep- 
ing the  elbows  straight  and  the  body  erect.  The  move- 
ment should  be  made  only  at  the  shoulder-joints. 

UPWA.RD  CHEST  EXTENSION. — From  "first  position," 
without  bending  the  elbows,  swing  the  arms  from  the 
sides  upward,  striking  back  of  hands  together  directly 
over  head ;  then,  by  reverse  movement,  return  the  arms 
to  first  position. 


4  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

These  movements  should  be  given  slowly  at  first,  in- 
creasing in  rapidity  and  energy  in  the  ratio  of  acquired 
strength  and  skill. 

CIRCULAR  MOVEMENT  OF  ARMS  : — 

1.  Forward.     From  "first  position,"  elbows  straight, 
swing  the  arms  forward,  up  in  front,  back  close  to  the 
sides  of  the  head  and  down  behind  to  commencing 
position,  describing  with  the  hands,  as  near  as  possible, 
parallel  circles. 

The  arms  are  allowed  to  rotate  freely  at  the  shoulder- 
joints. 

2.  Backward.     Carry  the  arms  back,  up,  around,  and 
down  in  front, — the  reverse  of  the  preceding.     It  may 
be  best  to  practice  first  with  each  arm  separately,  and 
then  both  together.     Great  care  should  be  taken  to 
keep  the  feet  firmly  in  position,  the  knees  straight  and 
the  body  perfectly  erect. 

ARM  AND  BODY  MOVEMENT  COMBINED. — For  com- 
mencing position  extend  the  arms  straight  up  each 
side  of  the  head.  Then,  from  this  position,  with 
elbows  and  knees  kept  straight,  swing  the  arms  down 
to  the  front,  back,  up,  around  and  down  again,  at  the 
same  time  bending  the  body  forward,  letting  the  bend 
be  mostly  at  the  hips. 

If  it  can  be  done  with  ease,  allow  the  extended  fin- 
gers to  touch  the  floor.  The  reverse  movement  brings 
the  body  to  an  erect  position,  while  the  arms  are 
carried  back,  down,  and  up  in  front  to  commencing 
position. 

Performed  with  energy,  this  is  a  most  invigorating 
and  economical  practice,  giving  the  pupil  the  greatest 
amount  of  exercise  in  the  shortest  possible  time. 


CALISTHENICS.  5 

BODY  MOVEMENTS  : — 

1.  Forward   and   backward.     With   hands  on   hips, 
knees  and  trunk  straight,  bend  the  body  forward,  then 
backward  as  far  as  possible.     Repeat  as  often  as  de- 
sirable. 

2.  Sideward.     With  the  same   conditions  as  in  the 
preceding,  bend  the  body  first  to  the  right  side,  then 
to  the  left,  and  continue  the  required  number  of  times. 

3.  Twisting  the  Trunk.     With  hands  as  before  and 
feet  kept  firmly  in  position,  twist  the  body  to  the  right 
until  the  face  is  turned  directly  to  the  rear ;  then  re- 
verse the  movement,  twisting  the  body  to  the  left  in 
like  manner. 

4.  With  hands  on  hips,  bend  the  body  to  the  right, 
and  then  swing  it  around  forward  and  to  the  left,  back 
and  around  to  the  right,  describing,  with  the  head,  as 
complete   and  large  a  circle  as  possible.     The  same 
movement  is  reversed.    Three  times  each  way  is  enough 
for  one  practice.     The  body  is  allowed  to  rotate  freely 
at  the  hips,  without  bending  the  knees  or  moving  the 
feet. 

HEAD  MOVEMENTS  : — 

1.  Forward   and   backward.     With   hands  on   hips, 
body  kept  erect  and  firm,  first  bend  the  head  forward, 
then  back,  and  repeat. 

2.  Twisting.     Turn  the  head  to  the  right,  bringing 
the  chin  over  the  shoulder,  then  to  the  left  and  repeat. 

3.  Sideward.     Incline  the  head  over  the  right  shoul- 
der, then  over  the  left,  and  so  continue. 

4.  Circular   Movement  of  Head.     Incline  the  head 


6  VOICE   CULTURE    AND   ELOCUTION. 

to  the  right,  let  it  swing  forward  and  around  to  the 
left,  back  and  around  to  the  right,  allowing  it  to  rotate 
freely,  with  muscles  of  the  neck  relaxed.  Repeat 
but  three  or  four  times,  then  reverse  the  movement. 
If  continued  too  long,  this  exercise  may  produce  dizzi- 
ness ;  but  practiced  in  moderation,  it  is  beneficial  to  the 
health,  and  encourages  greater  ease  and  freedom  in  the 
movements  of  the  head  in  speech. 

INSTEP  FLEXION  : — 

1.  With  hands  on  hips,  elbows  well  back,  and  body 
erect,  rise  on  the  toes  with  an  elastic  spring,  and  then 
return  gently  to  the  commencing  position. 

2.  Raise  the  body  to  the  "  tiptoe  position,"  as  in  the 
preceding  exercise.     Then,  by  bending  the  knees,  lower 
the  body  to  a  "squatting"  position,  but  keeping  the 
trunk  erect,  heels  off  the  floor,  and  hands  on  the  hips. 
Return  to  erect  tiptoe  position,  and  continue  the  exer- 
cise without  letting  the  heels  touch  the  floor. 

In  this,  as  in  all  physical  exercises,  practice  gently 
until  strength  and  facility  are  acquired. 

The  following  additional  exercises  for  instep  flexions 
may  be  practiced  with  some  profit  and  no  little  amuse- 
ment. 

3.  The  Rocking  Movement.     Rise  on  toes  and  keep 
in  tiptoe  position.     Advance  right  foot  to  front  ;  then, 
with  a  springing  movement,  reverse  the  position  of  the 
feet,  carrying  the  left  foot  to  the  front,  and  the  right 
foot,  at  the  same  time,  to  the  rear, — continuing  the 
movement  with  a  very  elastic  and  light  bound,  allowing 
only  the  toes  to  touch  the  floor. 

Another  more  complex  exercise  is  the  following  : 


CALISTHENICS.  7 

4,  Alternate  spreading  and  crossing  of  feet.  From 
the  tiptoe  position,  with  a  springing  movement  spread 
the  feet  to  the  right  and  left ;  then,  with  another  spring, 
cross  them  (the  right  in  front  of  the  left)  ;  then  spread 
them  apart  as  before  ;  and  then,  with  another  spring, 
cross  the  left  in  front  of  the  right.  Continue  the  move- 
ment with  very  light,  elastic  bounds,  and  always  keep- 
ing on  the  toes. 

WRIST  AND  ARM  MOVEMENTS:  — 

1.  With  arms  extended  horizontally  to  the  right  and 
left,  hands  hanging  loosely  at  the  wrists,  shake  the  arms, 
allowing  the  hands  to  dangle  with  perfect  freedom  as 
though  they  were  lifeless  appendages. 

2.  With  elbows  bent  and  pressed  against  the  sides  of 
the  body,  lower  arm  extending  to  the  front  and  upward, 
the  hands  hanging  loose  at  the  wrists,  shake  the  lower 
arm  up  and  down,  sideways  and  around. 

These  exercises  give  flexibility  to  the  wrists — a  most 
essential  condition  in  gesture. 

A  good  exercise  for  acquiring  the  difficult  art  of  let- 
ting the  arms  hang  loosely  from  the  shoulders  and  just 
where  the  attraction  of  gravitation  takes  them  (which 
is  one  of  the  most  important  positions  of  the  arms  at 
rest),  is  the  following  : 

3.  Let  go  the  arms,  allowing  them  to  hang  by  the 
sides  perfectly  relaxed.     Gently  twist  the  body  to  the 
right,  then  to  the  left,  and  continue  to  increase  the  ra- 
pidity  and  strength  of   the   movement,  allowing   the 
arms  to  swing  or  "  flop  "  with  perfect  freedom. 

"  Taking  the  mind  or  will  out  of  the  arms,  and  con- 
centrating it  upon  the  movements  of  the  body,"  will  as- 


8  VOICE   CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

sist  the  pupil  in  accomplishing  this,  at  first,  difficult 
exercise. 

All  movements  that  aid  in  the  partial  or  complete 
natural  relaxation  and  tension  of  the  muscles  of  the 
trunk  and  limbs,  contribute  largely  to  the  requirements 
of  Action  in  the  expression  of  thought  and  feeling. 

Perhaps  one  of  the  very  best  general  exercises  for 
the  complete  and  partial  relaxation  or  "  decomposing  " 
of  the  various  muscles  of  the  neck,  trunk,  and  limbs,  is 
what  the  author  of  this  work  calls,  in  his  "  CALIS- 
THENIC  EXERCISES  "  (a  small  manual  published  some 
time  ago),  "THE  INDIAN  DANCE." 

The  directions  are  as  follows  :  Take  "  first  position," 
rise  on  the  toes,  arms  hanging  loose  by  the  sides,  and 
muscles  of  the  neck  and  trunk  relaxed.  With  the 
weight  of  the  body  on  the  right  toe,  hop  twice  ;  then, 
with  the  weight  on  the  left  toe,  hop  in  the  same  man- 
ner, and  so  on — alternately  changing  from  one  toe 
(foot)  to  the  other. 

Be  sure  to  keep  the  muscles  of  the  neck,  trunk,  and 
arms  relaxed  in  the  execution  of  this  exercise,  that  it 
may  result  in  a  healthful  and  invigorating  influence  to 
the  whole  system. 

The  relaxation  of  the  muscles  of  the  neck  and  arms 
should  be  complete — the  trunk  and  lower  limbs  but 
partial. 

The  student  of  Elocution  will  find  that  in  all  physi- 
cal exercises,  especially  the  Breathing,  it  will  be  neces- 
sary to  wear  the  clothing  loose,  in  order  to  practice  the 
movements  with  comfort  and  profit. 


GESTURE. 

Suit  the  action  to  the  word,  the  word  to  the  action,  with  this  special  ob- 
servance, that  you  o'erstep  not  the  modesty  of  nature. — Shakespeare. 

What  a  piece  of  work  is  man  !  How  noble  in  reason  !  how  infinite  in 
faculty  !  in  form  and  moving  how  express  and  admirable  !  in  action  how 
like  an  angel !  in  apprehension  how  like  a  god  ! — Shakespeare. 

SINCE,  in  the  evolution  of  human  expression,  Ges- 
ture preceded  speech,  and  in  speech,  Voice  preceded 
Articulation,  so  this  natural  order  should  be  observed 
in  the  study  of  Elocution. 

The  study  of  gesture,  and  the  practice  of  well-di- 
rected exercises  for  its  encouragement  and  culture,  is 
the  first  department  of  Expression  to  which  the  atten- 
tion of  the  student  should  be  called. 

Anatomy  teaches  that  the  movements  of  man  are,  by 
nature,  those  of  grace.  The  articulations  of  the  bones, 
and  the  attachment  and  arrangement  of  the  muscles, 
all  show  that  "the  human  form  divine  "  was  fashioned 
to  execute  graceful  curves  —  not  angularities  and 
straight  lines.  Artificial  and  awkward  movements  are 
natural  to  no  one.  To  be  natural,  therefore,  is  to  be 
graceful. 

True  gesture  is  largely  the  spontaneous  outgrowth 
of  the  thought  and  feeling.  "  Nothing  is  more  deplor- 
able than  a  gesture  without  a  motive."  Hence,  the 
student  should  not  aim  to  acquire  gesture  so  much  as 
to  acquire  flexibility  of  the  muscles,  and  habits  of  ease 
and  grace  of  movements. 

The  more  readily  and  correctly  the  physical  nature 


10  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

responds  to  the  mental  and  emotional,  the  more  perfect 
becomes  the  physical  expression  of  thought  and  feel- 
ing. In  the  following  systematic  and  progressively  ar- 
ranged exercises  for  the  cultivation  and  improvement 
of  gesture,  the  conservation  of  this  great  law  is  kept 
steadily  in  view. 

POSITION  AND  STEPS. 

RIGHT  FOOT  POSITION. — Weight  of  body  on  the 
left  foot,  knee  straight,  and  toe  to  the  left  oblique. 
The  right  foot  at  right  angles  to  the  heel  of  the  left, 
heels  two  to  four  inches  apart,  and  the  right  knee 
slightly  bent. 

The  left  hip  should  extend  a  very  little  to  the  back- 
ward oblique  and  the  head  slightly  to  the  left. 

The  chest  should  be  well  to  the  front,  which  necessi- 
tates a  forward  curve  in  the  small  of  the  back.  This 
position  is  favorable  to  abdominal  breathing.  Besides 
giving  an  easy,  graceful,  and  restful  position,  the  right 
foot  is  ready  for  an  advance  step  without  a  change  of 
the  gravity  of  the  body.  "  The  supporting,  is  the 
standing  foot, — the  other,  the  acting." 

From  this  position,  practice  the  following  changes  : 

1.  SIMPLE  POISE. — Make  a  change  in  poise,  without 
shifting  the  feet,  by  swaying  the  hips  slightly  forward 
and  a  little  to  the  right  oblique,  carrying  the  right  hip 
obliquely  to  the  front  and  bringing  the  weight  of  the 
body  chiefly  on  the  ball  of  the  right  foot.     Return  to 
first  position. 

2.  ADVANCE  POISE. — From  first  position  advance  the 
right  foot  six  or  eight  inches   to    the   right  oblique, 
changing  the  poise  as  before,  keeping  the  ball  of  left 


GESTURE.  II 

foot,  which  serves  as  a  hinge,  firmly  in  position 
and  allowing  the  heel  to  rise.  Then  return  to  first 
position. 

3.  With  nearly  the  same  movement,  carry  the  right 
foot  directly  to  the  front,  and  return  to  position. 

LEFT  FOOT  POSITION. — Same  relative  position  of  the 
feet,  with  the  left  foot  in  advance.  Practice  the  same 
changes  from  this  as  from  the  right  foot  position. 

These  changes  in  poise  indicate  approach  or  closer 
relations  with  the  audience.  They  also  break  the  mo- 
notony of  attitude  and  give  rest. 

Combine  with  these  exercises  in  Poise  some  of  the 
"  Calisthenic  Gesturings  "  given  further  on. 

STEPS  FROM  RIGHT  FOOT  POSITION  : — 

1.  Step  to  the  front,  having  the  left  foot  follow,  and 
take  the  same  relative  position  to  the  right  foot  as  be- 
fore the  step  was  made.     Then  return  the  left  to  first 
position,  bringing  back  the  right  to  its  former  place  at 
right  angles  to  heel  of  the  left. 

2.  In  the  same  way,  step  to  the  right  oblique,  and 
back. 

3.  Then  directly  to  the  right  and  back. 

4.  Next,  to  the  right  backward  oblique,  allowing  the 
left  foot  to  stop  in  front  of  the  right  as  in  left  foot 
position. 

5.  Then  make  the  step   directly  to  the  rear  in  the 
same  way  as  in  the  last. 

FROM  LEFT  FOOT  POSITION,  go  through  similar  steps 
to  the  left. 

TEMPORARY  STEP. — From  each  position  in  each  di- 


12  VOICE    CULTURE    AND   ELOCUTION. 

rection,  practice  what  may  be  called  the  Temporary 
Step.  In  this  step  the  foot  that  follows  is  carried  only 
half  the  distance  of  the  advance,  the  heel  elevated,  the 
inside  ball  of  foot  touching  the  floor,  and  the  limb  re- 
laxed. 

The  return  is  made  as  in  the  permanent  step. 

The  advance  poise  may  also  be  practiced  in  all  the 
directions  given  for  the  steps. 

The  combination  of  the  right  and  left  oblique  steps 
is  made  as  follows  : 

i.  From  Right  Foot  Position,  step  to  the  right 
oblique,  keeping  weight  of  body  on  the  right  foot  ; 
then  step  to  the  left  oblique,  allowing  the  weight  to 
settle  back  on  the  right  foot,  which  is  at  the  rear  of 
the  left.  Then,  with  the  left  foot  thus  freed,  return 
with  one  long  step  to  commencing  position.  Make  ad- 
vance steps  short,  not  farther  than  you  can  reach  with 
the  toe  of  the  advanced  foot  without  changing  position 
of  the  body.  In  the  movements  of  the  "  torse  "  (body), 
the  hip  leads,  whether  in  taking  the  poise  or  the  step. 

In  the  poises  and  temporary  steps,  the  foot  and  limb 
that  follow  should  be  relaxed,  the  weight  of  the  body 
being  wholly  upon  the  foot  advanced. 

In  speech,  steps  are  not  usually  taken  to  get  some- 
where, but  to  indicate  direction.  For  such  purposes, 
short  steps  are  as  good  as  long,  and  are  made  easier 
and  with  more  grace. 

For  the  application  of  the  temporary  and  permanent 
steps  in  combination  to  the  right  and  left  oblique,  prac- 
tice the  following  sentence,  giving  the  gestures  as  indi- 
cated. [See  "  Notation  of  Gesture,"  further  on.] 


GESTURE.  13 

Cannon  to  right  of  them, 

r.h.o.h. 

Cannon  to  LEFT  of  them, 

l.h.o.h. 

Cannon  in  FRONT  of  them, 

b.h.f.h. 

Volleyed  and  thundered  ! 

The  "  acting  foot,"  which  makes  the  first  movement 
in  the  advance,  falls  on  the  accented  syllable  of  the  em- 
phatic word  in  exact  time  with  the  completion  of  the 
gesture  which  it  supplements.  The  "  supporting  foot  " 
follows  without  any  special  significance  in  the  expres- 
sion, and  is  to  the  movement  what  the  unaccented  syl- 
lable is  to  the  word. 

Economy  or  the  conservation  of  power  is  the  great 
need  in  both  physical  and  vocal  expression.  The  best 
results  with  the  least  expenditure  of  energy  should  be 
made  the  chief  object  in  all  elocutionary  exercise  and 
study.  The  attainment  of  the  easiest  way,  which  is  al- 
ways the  best  way,  may  require  long  and  intelligent 
practice. 

POSITION  OF  ARMS  AT  REST  : — 

i.  Arms  at  the  Side.  Let  the  arms  fall  to  the  sides, 
just  where  the  attraction  of  gravity  takes  them.  In 
this  position,  if  the  upper  arm  comes  in  contact  with  the 
body,  the  student  may  know  that  the  muscles  of  the  arm 
are  not  entirely  relaxed. 

This  is  the  most  important  position  of  the  arms  at  rest, 
and  the  one  which  they  more  easily  depart  from  and 
return  to  in  gesture. 

To  acquire  this  art  of  letting  go  the  arms  and  hands, 
Calisthenic  exercises  i,  2,  and  3  [p.  7]  should  be  prac- 
ticed long  and  faithfully. 


14  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

Other  positions  of  the  arms  at  rest  that  may  be  taken 
occasionally,  when  admissible,  are  : 

2.  Left  Hand  on  the  Hip,  elbow  thrown  well  back, 
and  right  arm  by  the  side,  as  in  the  above. 

3.  Right  Hand  on  the  Breast,  with  the  ringers  rest- 
ing between  the  buttons  of  the  coat  or  vest,  the  arm  re- 
laxed, and   lying  gracefully  against  the  body,  the  left 
arm  by  the  side. 

4.  For  Ladies,  instead  of  the  last  two,  the  hands  may 
be  lapped  in  front,  or  the  arms  lightly  folded  at  waist. 
Either  is  an  easy  and  graceful  position. 

5.  Arms  Folded  over  the  Breast,  is  a  good  position 
of  the  "  arms  at  rest,"  and  may  sometimes  be  employed 
as  gesture  with  great  significance. 

The  "  Calisthenic  Gesturings,"  systematized  and  ar- 
ranged for  practice  some  years  ago,  will  be  found  very 
efficient  for  correcting  angularities  in  gesture,  and  other 
faults  in  the  movements  of  the  arms. 

They  also  contribute  to  the  development  of  grace  and 
versatility  in  gesture,  and  to  the  encouragement  of  spon- 
taneity in  physical  expression. 

That  this  system  has  proved  superior  to  others,  in 
the  experience  of  the  author  and  many  of  his  pupils, 
is  owing  largely  to  its  being  founded  upon  the  cor- 
rect idea  of  the  source  of  gesture,  and  of  the  true 
province  and  scope  of  the  exercises  for  the  attainment 
of  the  greatest  flexibility  and  freedom  of  the  muscular 
system. 

It  is  not  assumed  that  other  exercises,  having  the  same 
end  in  view,  might  not  be  given  with  profit  to  some ; 
but  to  the  student  who  has  not  years  to  devote  to  the 


GESTURE.  15 

study  and  practice  of  physical  expression,  the  exercises 
given  in  this  book  will  be  found  quite  sufficient.  A  few 
things  well  done  is  generally  better  than  many  things 
half  or  poorly  done. 

Before  commencing  the  exercises  under  Calisthenic 
Gesturings,  Calisthenics  proper  should  be  practiced  as 
an  important,  if  not  a  necessary  preparation. 

Position  and  steps  should  also  be  mastered,  so  that 
well-balanced  and  graceful  attitudes  maybe  maintained, 
and  ease  and  grace  of  movement  acquired. 

INITIAL  MOVEMENT  OF  THE  ARM  : —  Much  impor- 
tance is  attached  to  this  movement.  It  forms  the  com- 
mencement of  almost  every  gesture  made  with  the  arms. 
It  is  the  beginning  of  that  graceful  unfolding  of  the 
arm,  which  starts  at  the  shoulder,  passes  successively 
to  the  elbow  and  to  the  wrist,  and  terminates  at  the  fin- 
ger-tips. Perfect  relaxation  of  the  arm  is  the  first  es- 
sential in  the  Initial  Movement. 

The  movement  is  made  thus  :  Raise  the  upper  arm 
by  carrying  the  elbow  diagonally  forward  until  it  is  al- 
most horizontal  with  the  shoulder — the  fore-arm,  hand, 
and  fingers  remaining  relaxed.  It  will  be  noticed  that 
the  fore-arm  swings  toward  the  front  of  the  body,  and 
that  the  hand  curves  downward  from  the  wrist. 

From,  or  rather  through,  this  Initial  Movement,  with- 
out a  pause,  the  arm  unfolds  in  whatever  direction  the 
gesture  takes.  It  will  be  noticed  that  the  wrist  leads 
in  the  unfoldment  of  the  gesture. 

This  unfolding  from  the  shoulder  to  the  finger-tips 
may  be  likened  to  the  unwinding  of  a  whip-lash,  and 
the  quick  turn  of  the  hands  and  fingers  at  the  comple- 


l6  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

tion  of  the  movement,  to  the  cracker  at  the  end  of  the 
lash,  giving  the  snap  or  accent  to  the  gesture. 

This  flexible  turn  of  the  hand  at  the  wrist  is  called 
the  ictus,  and  is  to  the  gesture  what  accent  is  to  the 
word,  or  emphasis  to  the  sentence.  The  almost  uni- 
versal law  of  gesture  requires  the  termination  or  ictus 
to  fall  directly  upon  the  accented  syllable  of  the  em- 
phatic word. 

If  it  falls  but  a  moment  either  before  or  after,  the 
force  of  the  gesture  is  weakened  or  wholly  destroyed. 

To  illustrate  :  Repeat  the  following  climax  sentence 
with  the  degree  of  earnestness  required  for  its  proper 
expression,  and  have  the  gestures  fall  just  before. 
the  most  emphatic  words  as  marked  (g)  and  note  the 
effect  : 

I  tell  you,  though  (g}you,  though  the  whole  (g)  WORLD, 
though  an  ANGEL  from  (g)  HEAVEN,  were  to  declare  the 
truth  of  it,  I  (g)  WOULD  NOT  believe  it. 

Give  it  next  with  the  gestures  terminating  imme- 
diately after  the  emphases,  as  follows : 

I  tell  you,  though  you  (g),  though  the  whole  WORLD  (g), 
though  an  ANGEL  from  HEAVEN  (g),  were  to  declare  the 
truth  of  it,  I  WOULD  NOT  (g)  believe  it. 

Now  give  it  with  the  gestures  falling,  as  they  should, 
exactly  upon  the  emphatic  words,  and  mark  the  increased 
effect. 

I  tell  you,  though  you,  though  the  whole  WORLD,  though 
an  ANGEL  from  HEAVEN,  were  to  declare  the  truth  of  it,  I 
WOULD  NOT  believe  it. 

The  difference  is  not  only  seen,  but  felt  by  both 
speaker  and  hearer.  But  this  law  of  concentration  is 
so  much  a  part  of  our  being  that,  where  there  is  har- 


GESTURE.  17 

mony  between  mind  and  body,  there  is  no  great  danger 
of  going  wrong. 

Physical  and  vocal  culture  are  among  the  best  means 
for  attaining  this  intellectual  harmony.  They  will  de- 
velop in  the  speaker  an  aptness  and  a  disposition  to 
concentrate  voice  and  action  upon  the  most  significant 
ideas. 

INTELLECTUAL  BASIS  AND  SCOPE  OF  GESTURE. 
BASIS  : — 

1.  Gestures  that  terminate  below  the  horizontal  line, 
are  said  to  be  gestures  of  the  Will.    Besides  expressing 
determination  and  purpose,  they  are  used  to  indicate 
inferiority. 

2.  Gestures  terminating  on  the  horizontal  line,  belong 
to  the  realm  of  the  Intellect.     They  are  usually  em- 
ployed in  historic  and  geographic  ideas,  and  in  general 
allusions. 

3.  Those  that   terminate   above  the   horizontal   line 
may  be  regarded  as  gestures  of  the  Imagination,  since 
they  usually  imply  an  unfolding  and  lifting  toward  the 
ideal.  They  also  denote  superiority,  freedom,  greatness. 

SCOPE  : — 

T.  Gestures  that  terminate  to  the  front  are  Direct  and 
Individual.  They  are  also  used  to  indicate  that  which 
is  near. 

2.  Those  that  terminate  to  the  oblique  (a  direction 
half-way  between  the  front  and  sides)  are  General  in 
their  scope,  and  are  less  definite  and  less  emphatic  than 
those  made  to  the  front. 


l8  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

3.  Gestures  that  terminate  at  the  sides  are  inclusive — 
all-embracing  ;  hence,  express  Universality. 

4.  To   the    backward-oblique ',    gestures   express  Past 
Time,  or  putting  in  the  Past.     They  indicate  remote- 
ness and  obscurity. 

The  above  should  be  given  a  liberal  interpretation. 
It  may  serve  as  a  general,  but  not  always  a  special  guide 
in  the  study  and  application  of  gesture. 

The  exercises  for  practice  are  arranged  under  four 
series  and  four  directions. 

The  Four  Series  are  the  Front,  the  Oblique,  the  Lat- 
eral (sides),  and  the  Backward-oblique. 

The  Four  Directions  are  the  Descending,  the  Hori- 
zontal, the  Ascending,  and  the  Zenith. 

By  using  the  initials  of  the  words  representing  the 
Series  and  Directions,  we  get  the  following  conve- 
nient 

NOTATION  OF  GESTURE  : — 

1.  f.,  front ;  o.,  oblique  ;  1.,  lateral ;  and  b.  o.,  back- 
ward-oblique. 

2.  d.,  descending  ;  h.,  horizontal ;  a.,  ascending  ;  and 
z.,  zenith. 

From  these  we  form  the  following  combinations  : 

d.  f.,  descending  front. 

h.  f.,  horizontal       " 

a.  f.,  ascending       " 

z.,  zenith  (directly  overhead). 

d.  o.,  descending  oblique. 

h.  o.,  horizontal         " 

a.  o.,  ascending         " 

d.  1.,  descending  lateral. 


GESTURE.  19 

h.  1.,  horizontal  lateral. 

a.  1.,  ascending       " 

d.  b.  o.,  descending  backward-oblique. 

h.  b.  o.,  horizontal  "  " 

a.  b.  o.,  ascending  " 

ADDITIONAL  NOTATIONS  : — 

r.  h.,  means  right  hand. 
1.  h.,  left  hand. 

b.  h.,  both  hands. 

s.,  supine  (palm  of  the  hand  up), 
p.,  prone  (    "     "     "       "      down), 
v.,  vertical  (palm  turned  outward), 
ind.,  index  hand  ;  also,  the  half  index  hand, 
cli.,  hand  clinched, 
cla.,  hands  clasped, 
cro.,  hands  crossed  on  breast, 
fol.,       "       and  arms  folded, 
rep.,  gesture  repeated. 

imp.,  impulse  —  gesture  repeated  from  elbow  or 
wrist. 

Still  others  might  be  given,  but  the  above  will  be 
found  sufficient  for  marking  exercises  and  selections  for 
special  drill. 

It  is  not  advisable  to  use  these  notations,  nor  any  of 
the  work  in  gesture,  except  as  helps  in  discipline — as 
means  to  ends. 

EXPLANATION  OF  DIRECTIONS  : — To  understand  the 
Series,  and  the  directions  in  which  the  gestures  termi- 
nate, in  the  exercises  given  for  practice,  let  the  student 
imagine  himself  standing  in  the  center  of  a  square  room 


20  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

about  twice  his  height,  and  facing  to  the  center  of  one 
side. 

1.  Front  Series.     Then,  directly  in  front,  where  the 
floor  meets  the  wall,  is  d.  f.;  half  way  up,  h.  f.;  where 
the  wall  meets  the  ceiling,  a.  f.;  and  the  center  of  the 
ceiling,  z. 

2.  Oblique  Series.     The  right  and  left  lower  corners 
of  the  room  are  d.  o. ;  half  way  up  in  the  corners,  h.  o. ; 
the  upper  corners,  a.  o.;  and  overhead,,  z. 

3.  Lateral  Series.     Where  the  floor  meets  the  sides 
of  the  room  directly  to  the  right  and  left  is  d.  1. ;  half 
way  up,  or  the  center  of  the  sides,  h.  L;  at  the  ceiling, 
a.  1. ;  and  overhead,  as  before,  z. 

4.  Backward-oblique  Series.     The  lower  backward- 
oblique  corners  is  d.  b.  o.;  half  way  up  in  the  corners, 
h.  b.  o. ;  the  top  corners,  a.  b.  o. ;  while  overhead  always 
represents  the  zenith — z. 

How  TO  PRACTICE  : — Take  right  foot  position.  With 
arms  at  side  and  perfectly  relaxed,  carry  the  arm  through 
the  Initial  movement,  letting  it  unfold  in  the  required 
direction,  and  terminating  with  a  quick  turn  of  the 
hand  at  the  wrist,  with  the  fingers  well  extended.  Prac- 
tice each  series  (commencing  with  the/Vwz/)  and  in  each 
direction — giving  the  descending  first  in  the  Series. 

Go  through  each,  first  with  the  r.  h.,  then  with  the  1.  h., 
then  with  b.  h.,  and  finally  with  the  right,  left,  and  both 
hands  alternately. 

In  each,  repeat  three  to  five  times. 

The  descending  movements  are  made  at  about  forty- 
five  degrees  below  the  horizontal  line,  and  the  ascend- 
ing at  the  same  angle  above. 


GESTURE.  21 

Do  not  spread  the  fingers,  but  let  them  and  the  thumb 
retain  their  most  natural  position. 

The  movements  to  the  zenith  (z)  will  be  found  the 
most  difficult  to  execute  with  grace.  Give  them  thus  : 

Commencing  with  Initial  Movement,  carry  the  right 
hand  through  a  double  curve  represented  by  an  elong- 
ated S  reversed,  terminating  directly  overhead,  and,  as 
in  the  other  movements,  with  a  quick  turn  of  the  hand 
at  the  wrist. 

The  left  hand  is  carried  through  a  similar  curve  repre- 
sented by  an  elongated  S,  but  not  reversed.  Then  give 
the  same  with  both  hands. 

In  the  last,  it  will  be  found  that  the  face  is,  as  it 
were,  inclosed  in  an  oval  frame  by  the  upper  half  of 
each  of  the  curves.  This  idea,  though  a  little  far- 
fetched, will,  at  least,  serve  as  a  help  to  get  the  required 
movement.  These,  as  well  as  the  other  movements  in 
Calisthenic  Gesturings,  are  a  little  exaggerated  as  ges- 
tures, to  counteract  the  too  prevalent  tendency  toward 
straight  lines. 

In  the  "  backward  oblique  Series,"  there  are  no 
"both  hand  "  gestures. 

Counting  "  one  "  for  the  right,  "  two  "  for  the  left,  and 
"  three  "  for  both  hands  in  the  practice  of  exercises 
through  the  different  directions  will  add  precision,  and 
will  help  to  time  the  movements  when  several  are  prac- 
ticing together. 

Each  "  Series  "  in  the  arm  movements  can  be  com- 
bined with  the  steps,  and  all  may  be  practiced  in  con- 
nection with  music,  as  an  excellent  substitute  for  the 
more  abrupt  and  angular  movements  of  the  ordinary 
calisthenic  exercises. 


22  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

After  a  degree  of  proficiency  is  acquired  in  these 
exercises,  the  following  sentences,  that  call  for  gestures 
in  each  of  the  different  directions,  may  be  practiced  as 
a  means  for  encouraging  application  and  versatility. 

RIGHT  HAND  SUPINE. 

Terminate  the  gestures  with  the  hand  well  opened, 
palm  upward,  the  inner  edge  of  the  hand  inclined  a  little 
downward,  and  with  the  fingers  and  thumb  in  their  natu- 
ral positions — neither  pressed  together  nor  spread  apart. 
A  partially  closed  or  cramped  hand  weakens  the  ges- 
ture. 

In  the  following  examples,  the  words  printed  in  italics, 
and  not  indicated  with  "  notations  of  gesture,"  are  to 
be  gestured  at  the  discretion  of  the  pupil.  When  the 
notation  of  the  "hand"  is  omitted,  the  supine  (s.)  is 
understood. 
FRONT  SERIES — r.  h.  f.  : — 

1.  See  the  prize  that  lies  before  thee. 

d. 

2.  I  extend^  you  the  hand  vt  friendship. 

h.  imp. 

3.  The  noonday  sun  looked  down,  and  saw — not  one. 

a 

4.  Give  me  liberty,  or  give  me  death. 

z. 

OBLIQUE  SERIES — r.  h.  o.  : — 

1.  Be  firm  in  the  cause  ; 

d. 

2.  trust  none  but  friends  ; 

h. 

3.  let  your  aims  be  high  ; 

a. 

4.  and  your  watchword,  liberty. 

z. 

LATERAL  SERIES— r.  h.  1.  : — 
i.  I  acknowledge  the  charge. 

d. 


GESTURE.  23 

2.  Bring  in  all  the  evidence  you  desire  ; 

h. 

3.  let  the  light  of  day  shine  in  upon  my  deeds  ; 

a. 

4.  for  heaven  knows  I  am  innocent  of  crime. 

z. 

BACKWARD-OBLIQUE  SERIES — r.  h.  b.  o.  : — 

1.  Let  the  dead  Past  bury  its  dead  ! 

d. 

Act — act  in  the  living  Present ! 
Heart  within,  and  God  o'erhead  ! 

2.  Free  as  the  torments  are  that  leap  our  rocks,  and 

h. 

plow  our  valleys,  without  asking  leave. 

3.  Look  on  that  narrow  stream,  a  silver  thread,  high  on 

a.  imp. 

the  mountain's  side. 

4.  Honor  the  charge  they  made, 
Honor  the  Light  Brigade, 
Noble  six  hundred  ! 

z. 

BOTH    HANDS   SUPINE.  * 

FRONT  SERIES — b.  h.  f. : — 

1.  Speak,  mother,  SPEAK  !  lift  up  thy  head. 

d. 

2.  What  was  Caesar,  that  stood  upon  the  bank  of  that 
stream  ?     A  traitor,  bringing  war  and  pestilence  into 
the  heart  of  that  country. 

h. 

3.  God  pity  them!    God  PITY  them,  wherever  they 

a. 

may  be. 

4.  Awake,  ARISE  !  or  be  forever  fallen. 

z. 

OBLIQUE  SERIES — b.  h.  o.  : — 

i.  Shall  we  now  contaminate  our  fingers  with  base 

d. 
bribes, 


24  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

2.  And  sell  the  mighty  space  of  our  large  honors  for 

h. 

so  much  trash  as  may  be  grasped  thus  ? 

3.  Thy  voice  sounds  like  a  prophet's  word, 
And  in  its  hollow  tones  are  heard 

The  thanks  of  millions  yet  to  be. 

a. 

4.  Arm,  ARM  !  it  is — it  is  the  cannon's  opening  roar. 

z 

LATERAL  SERIES — b.  h.  1.  : — 

1.  I  wash  my  hands  of  the  whole  affair. 

d. 

2.  And  is  this  all  the  world  has  gained  by  thee, 

h. 

(Thou  first  and  last  of  fields!)  king-making  victory? 

3.  But  one  sun  lights  the  day ; 
By  night,  ten  thousand  shine. 

a. 

4.  Rise,  fathers,  RISE  !  'tis  ROME  demands  your  help. 

z. 
RIGHT    HAND    PRONE. 

The  primary  signification  of  the  Prone  Hand  (palm 
down)  is  Superposition — one  thing  above  another.  But, 
in  a  broader  sense,  it  is  associated  with  Repressive 
Emotion  and  Undesirableness. 

It  is  often  used  in  the  expression  of  sadness  and 
grief,  and  sometimes  in  scorn.  The  latter,  however, 
generally  employs  the  Vertical  Hand.  The  antithesis 
of  the  two  hands,  Supine  and  Prone,  might  be  ex- 
pressed as  follows  : 

The  Supine  Hand  permits,  the  Prone  rejects  j  the 
Supine  impels,  the  Prone  restrains  j  the  Supine  is  open, 
frank,  genial ;  the  Prone  is  aversive,  somber,  evasive  j 
the  Supine  indicates  nearness  ;  the  Prone,  distance. 

The  Prone  Hand  is  less  frequently  employed  than 


GESTURE.  25 

the  Supine  ;  but,  to  facilitate  its  use,  the  same  series  in 
Calisthenic  Gesturings  should  be  practiced,  and  with 
due  care  as  to  the  difference  in  the  turn  of  the  hand 
at  the  completion  of  the  gesture.  In  the  Supine  Hand, 
the  ictus  is  made  with  the  turn  of  the  fingers  toward 
the  back  of  the  hand  ;  in  the  Prone,  the  gesture  ter- 
minates with  the  turn  of  the  fingers  toward  the  palm. 

In  the  unfoldment  of  the  arm,  the  movement  begins 
with  the  upper  arm,  passes  through  the  lower  into  the 
hand,  and  terminates  at  the  fingers. 

FRONT  SERIES — r.  h.  p.  f.  : — 

1.  Dust  thou  art,  and  unto  dust  thou  shalt  return. 

d. 

2.  Stay  thy  impious  hand  ! 

h. 

3.  Ye  gods,  withhold  your  wrath  ! 

a. 

OBLIQUE  SERIES — r.  h.  p.  o.  : — 

1.  It  was  this  morning  that  the  sun  rose  bright  upon 
his  hopes — it  sets  upon  his  grave. 

d.  imp. 

2.  Peace,  dreamer  !  thou  hast  done  well. 

h. 

3.  The  stars  went  out,  and  down  the  mountain  gorge 

a. 

the  wind  came  roaring. 

LATERAL  SERIES — r.  h.  p.  1.  : — 

1.  The  wind  died  away  into  a  perfect  culm. 

d. 

2.  And  the  death-angel  flaps  his  broad  wing  o'er  tht 

wave. 

h, 

3.  So  darkly  glows  yon  thunder-cloud, 

ind. 

That  swathes,  as  with  a  purple  shroud, 

a. 


26  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

Benledi's  distant  hill. 

ind. 

BACKWARD-OBLIQUE  SERIES — r.  h.  p.  b.  o.  : — 

1.  But  she, 
With  the  flash  of  a  glance,  had  shown  to  me 
The  wretch  I  was,  and  the  self  I  still 

d. 

Might  strive  to  be. 

2.  Away  !  slight  man. 

h. 

3.  His  voice  was  heard   amid   the   thunderings  of 
Mount  SinaL 

a. 

BOTH   HANDS   PRONE. 

FRONT  SERIES — b.  h.  p.  f.  : — 

1 .  I  saw  the  corse,  the  mangled  corse  ! 

d. 

2.  On  horror's  head,  horrors  accumulate  ! 

h. 

3.  And,  having  wound  their  loathsome  track  to  the 
top  of  this  huge,  moldering  monument  of  Rome,  hang 
HISSING  at  the  nobler  man  below  / 

a. 

OBLIQUE  SERIES — b.  h.  p.  o. : — 

1.  Sons  of  dust,  in  reverence  bow  ! 

d. 

2.  The  veil  of  night  came  slowly  down. 

h. 

3.  Hung  be  the  heavens  with  black  ! 

a. 

LATERAL  SERIES — b.  h.  p.  1.  : — 

1.  When  a  great  and  good  man  dies,  the  people  are 
overwhelmed  with  grief. 

d. 

2.  Sorrow  mantles  the  whole  earth. 

h. 


GESTURE.  27 

3.   Let  the  triple  rainbow  rest  o'er  all  the  mountain 

a. 

tops. 

Besides  the  Supine  and  Prone  Hands,  there  are  the 
following  : 

THE  VERTICAL  HAND. 

The  signification  of  this  Hand  is  partly  embodied  in 
the  Prone  ;  but  a  close  analysis  of  the  two  shows  a  dif- 
ference. 

The  prone  hand  casts  down,  puts  under.  The  vertical 
repels,  puts  away. 

1.  Back,  BACK  !  I  say  !  Face  me  not,  villain. 

v.  h. 

2.  The  face  of  the  Lord  is  against  them  that  do  evil. 

v.  o.  a. 

3.  AVAUNT  !  and  quit  my  sight ! 

v.  1.  h. 

4.  Away,  AWAY  !  and  follow  me  not ! 

v.  b.  o.  h. 
BOTH  HANDS  VERTICAL. 

To  the  front,  denotes  abhorrent  repulsion  or  fear  ;  to 
the  oblique,  the  same,  but  more  general — the  danger 
less  imminent  ;  to  the  sides,  expansion,  disruption,  dis- 
persion. 

The  preparation  for  most  of  the  lateral  vertical  hand 
gestures,  is  the  crossing  of  the  hands  over  the  breast, 
with  palms  turned  outward. 

1.  The  gate  is  BURST  ;  a  ruffian  band 

v.  o.  h. 

Rush  in,  and  savagely  demand, 
With  brutal  voice  and  oath  profane, 
The  startled  boy/<?r  exile's  chain. 

2.  Angels  and  ministers  of  grace,  defend  us. 

v.  o.  a. 


28  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

3.  BURSTS  the  wild  storm  of  terror  and  dismay. 

v.  1.  h. 

THE  INDEX  HAND. 

The  Index  Hand,  as  its  name  implies,  indicates. 

It  not  only  points  out  and  designates  particular  per- 
sons and  objects,  but,  analogically,  calls  attention  to 
particular  ideas. 

While  the  Open  Hand  is  used  to  extend  the  idea,  the 
Index  Hand  is  used  to  limit  it. 

Compare  the  following  : 

1.  Let  us  examine  the  whole  subject  before  us. 

b.  h.  o.  h. 

2.  Now  let  us  look  more  closely  at  this  particular 

ind. 

point. 

THE  CLINCHED   HAND. 

The  Clinched  Hand  is  employed  in  very  emphatic 
assertion,  in  fierce  denunciation,  and  in  vehement  ex- 
pression of  the  more  violent  passions  of  the  mind. 

If  energy  in  gesture  be  regarded  as  consisting  of 
three  degrees,  then  "  the  Open  Hand  would  express 
the  first  degree,  the  Index  Hand  the  second,  and  the 
Clinched  Hand  the  third  degree." 

•i.  Let  us  do,  or  DIE  ! 

cli. 

2.  Thy  THREATS,  thy  MERCIES  I  DEFY  ! 

cli. 

3.  You  blocks,  you  stones,  you  worse  than  senseless 

cli.  rep. 

things  ! 

BOTH  HANDS  CLINCHED  intensifies  the  expression. 
i.  And  I'll  taunt  you  with  my  latest  breath,  and  FIGHT 

r.  h.  cli. 

you  till  I  DIE. 

b.  h.  cli. 


GESTURE.  29 

2.  I've  had  wrongs  to  stir  a  fever  in  the  blood  of  age, 
And  make  the  infant's  sinews  strong  as  steel. 

b.  h.  cli. 

3.  The    strength    of    brass   is    in    your    toughened 

b.  h.  cli. 

sinews. 

4.  The  compassion  of  an  assassin  who  feels  a  mo- 

r.  h.  cli. 

mentary  shudder  as  his  weapon  begins  to  cut. 

b.  h.  cli. 

Besides  the  foregoing,  there  are  the  following  Hands 
that  have  special  significations  in  the  expression  of 
thought  and  feeling. 

HANDS  CLASPED. 
[Fingers  interlaced  and  closed.] 

The  Clasped  Hands  is  the  language  of  distress. 

The  hands  are  employed  thus  in  supplication,  earnest 
entreaty,  agony,  and  in  despair.  They  are  brought  to 
the  breast,  carried  up,  down,  out,  or  in  any  direction  the 
emotion  dictates  or  impels. 

1.  For  heaven's  sake,  Hubert,  let  me  not  be  bound ! 

cla.  f.  h. 

2.  O,  my  son  Absalom  !  my  son,  my  son  Absalom  ! 

cla.  f.  h.  imp. 

Would  God  I  had  died  for  thee,  O,  Absalom,  my  son, 

cla.  f.  a.  cla.  f.  h. 

my  son  / 

cla.  f.  d. 

HANDS  FOLDED. 

In  this  the  fingers  of  one  hand  are  all  placed  between 
the  thumb  and  fingers  of  the  other,  the  thumb  of  the 
right  hand  crossing  that  of  the  left.  This  position  of 
the  hands  is  regarded  as  expressing  humility  and  self- 
abasement,  and  is  sometimes  used  in  very  earnest  sacred 
address, 


30  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

The  Folded  Hands  may  also  be  used  for  the  same 
purposes  as  the  Clasped  Hands. 

WRINGING  HANDS. 

The  wringing  of  the  hands  denotes  the  deepest  des- 
pair. The  movement  is  often  accompanied  by  writh- 
ings  of  the  body. 

i.  Nor  man  nor  God  will  heed  my  shrieks !     ALL'S 

LOST  ! 

HANDS  CROSSED  ON  BREAST. 

This  is  not  the  folding  of  the  arms,  as  given  in  the 
position  of  the  Arms  at  Rest.  The  arms  are  crossed,, 
with  the  hands  placed  flat  on  the  breast.  This  position 
of  the  hands  expresses  humility,  veneration,  and  sacred 
avowal.  It  is  generally  accompanied  with  a  slight  for- 
ward-bending of  the  body. 

1.  For  us,  and  for  our  tragedy, 
Here  stooping  to  your  clemency, 
We  beg  your  hearing  patiently. 

2.  In  thee,  O  Lord,  do  I  put  my  trust. 

3.  I  acknowledge  my  transgressions. 

HANDS    APPLIED. 

In  this,  the  palms  are  placed  together  in  front  of  the 
breast,  the  extended  thumb  and  fingers  of  one  hand  ex- 
actly covering  the  thumb  and  fingers  of  the  other, — 
used  in  prayer  and  adoration.  It  is  the  position  of 
the  hands  given  by  painters  and  sculptors  to  children 
in  the  attitude  of  prayer.  Hence  it  is  employed  to  de- 
note the  petitions  of  the  innocent. 

Under  Significant  Gestures,  will  be  given  other  posi- 
tions and  uses  of  the  hands. 


GESTURE.  31 

The  gestures  assigned  to  the  right  hand  may  also  be 
executed  with  the  left,  but  the  right  is  always  given  the 
preference  in  single  gestures. 

The  province  of  the  left  hand  is,  first,  to  designate 
persons  or  objects  situated  at  the  left  of  the  speaker  ; 
second,  to  be  employed  alternately  with  the  right,  to 
denote  opposite  or  contrasted  ideas,  persons,  or  things ; 
and  third,  to  be  used  with  the  right  when  both  are 
required  simultaneously.  In  regard  to  direction,  the 
speaker  should  avoid  "  literal  and  mechanical  exact- 
ness." 

"  The  graces  of  gesture  are  simplicity,  smoothness, 
and  variety."  These  depend  largely  upon  the  flexi- 
bility and  strength  of  the  muscular  system. 

Strength  is  not  incompatible  with  ease  and  grace, 
though  many  exercises  of  the  heavier  gymnastics  are 
calculated  to  develop  strength  and  hardness  of  muscle 
at  the  expense  of  flexibility. 

"  Rigidity  of  muscle  and  stiffness  of  the  body  destroy 
graceful  action." 

PREPARATION  FOR  THE  GESTURE  is  often  of  more 
importance  than  the  gesture  itself.  In  grand  and  lofty 
ideas,  the  arms  move  slowly  and  take  a  wide  sweep.  If 
the  thought  be  sharp  and  passionate,  the  movements  of 
the  arms  are  correspondingly  straight  and  angular. 

Carrying  the  hand  gracefully  and  skillfully  from  one 
position  to  another  in  a  series  of  gestures  where  each 
preceding  gesture  is  the  preparation  for  the  one  that 
follows,  requires  much  careful  practice  before  the  high- 
est excellence  can  be  reached.  Each  should  be  ap- 
propriate to  the  particular  idea  it  helps  to  express, 
and  the  passage  from  one  into  the  other  should  be  in  a 


32  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

natural  series,   and  made   with  as  much  significance, 
grace,  and  precision  as  the  language  will  admit. 

There  is  a  peculiar  gesture  that  may  be  used  in 
some  cases  with  marked  effect,  called  the  OPENING 
SHAKE.  The  arm  and  Index  Hand  to  the  front  moves, 
at  the  elbow  and  wrist,  up  and  down  through  a 
gradually  lessening  arc,  but  increasing  in  rapidity 
to  the  conclusion  of  the  sentence,  and  closing  with  an 
abrupt  and  short  stroke  of  the  whole  arm.  The  fol- 
lowing sentence  is  a  good  example  in  the  "  opening 
shake." 

Who  distinctly  and  audaciously  tells  the  Irish  peo- 
ple,  that  they  are  not  entitled  to  the  same  privileges  as 
Englishmen  ? 

"  Gesture  is  that  part  of  Elocution  which  appeals 
to  the  eye."  Since  it  relates  to  Position  and  Poise,  as 
well  as  to  movement,  the  positions  of  the  reader  and 
speaker  should  always  be  in  harmony  with  the  charac- 
ter of  the  thought. 

The  movements  in  gesture  should  be  characterized 
by  ease  and  grace,  and  they  should  always  be  made  in 
perfect  accord  with  an  untrammeled  nature.  Particu- 
lar forms  of  gesture  must  not  be  regarded  as  absolute. 
As  in  modulation  and  emphasis,  the  exact  method  of 
expression  may  vary  with  different  speakers,  and  with 
the  different  moods  of  the  same  speaker.  The  tem- 
perament, habits,  and  mannerisms  of  the  individual  may 
have  much  to  do  with  the  frequency  or  the  infrequency 
of  gesture.  Those  accustomed  to  gesture  too  much  or 
shift  the  position  too  frequently  should  be  restrained 
in  their  action  until  the  fault  is  corrected.  A  good 
exercise  for  this  is  to  recite  with  energy,  but  without 


GESTURE.  33 

moving  the  arms^  or  changing  the  position,  selections 
that  require  considerable  gesture.  Those  inclined  to 
gesture  too  little  should  enter  more  fully  into  the  spirit 
of  the  recitation,  and  both  encourage  and  create  dis- 
positions toward  increased  action. 

MISCELLANEOUS  EXAMPLES. 

In  the  following  sentences,  the  student  should  use 
his  own  judgment  as  to  what  is  right  or  best  in  the  way 
of  gesture.  This  will  help  to  encourage  and  develop 
an  intelligent  and  cultured  individuality  in  physical  ex- 
pression, that  no  student  of  elocution  can  afford  to  ig- 
nore. These,  and  the  other  exercises  in  gesture,  will 
help  the  diligent  student  to  at  least  an  approximate  at- 
tainment of  that  high  ideal  in  which  art  becomes  nature. 
Nowhere  is  the  old  motto,  "  ars  celare  artem"  so  appli- 
cable as  in  the  department  of  physical  expression.  The 
attainment  of  "  the  art  to  conceal  the  art  "  is  the  con= 
summation  of  all  elocutionary  practice. 

1.  Up  with  my  banner  on  the  wall, — 

The  banquet  board  prepare  ; 
Throw  wide  the  portals  of  my  hall, 
And  bring  my  armor  there  ! 

2.  Then  each  at  once  his  falchion  drew, 

Each  on  the  ground  his  scabbard  threw, 
Each  looked  to  sun,  and  stream,  and  plain, 
As  what  they  ne'er  might  see  again  ; 
Then  foot,  and  point,  and  eye  opposed, 
In  dubious  strife  they  darkly  closed. 

3.  But  yesterday  the  word  of  Ccesar  might 

Have  stood  against  the  world;  now  lies  he  there, 

And  none  so  poor  to  do  him  reverence. 

3 


34.  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

4.  I  will  not  do  them  wrong,  I  rather  choose 

To  wrong  the  dead,  to  wrong  myself,  and  you, 
Than  I  will  wrong  such  honorable  men. 

5.  His  life  was  gentle  ;  and  the  elements 

So  mixed  in  him,  that  Nature  might  stand  up, 
And  say  to  all  the  world, 
This  was  a  man. 

6.  They  reeled,  shook,  staggered  back, 
Then  turned  and  fled. 

7.  Must  I  budge  ?  -   Must  I  observe  you  ?     Must  I 
stand  and  crouch  under  your  testy  humor  ? 

8.  I  saw  the  breast  that    had  nourished    me  tram- 
pled by  the  hoof  of  the  war-horse  ;  the  bleeding  body 
of  my  father  flung  amidst  the  blazing  rafters  of  our 
dwelling. 

9.  Look    on   that   narrow   stream,    a   silver    thread 
high  on  the  mountain  side.     Slenderly  it  winds,  but 
soon  is  swelled  by  others  meeting  it,  until  a  torrent, 
terrible  and  strong,  it  sweeps  to  the  abyss,  where  all  is 
ruin. 

10.  And    so,  fellow  gladiators,  must    you,   and    so 
must  I,  die  like  dogs. 

11.  As  some  tall  cliff  that  lifts  its  awful  form, 
Swells   from   the   vale,  and    midway  leaves   the 

storm, 
Though  round  its  breast  the  rolling  clouds  are 

spread, 
Eternal  sunshine  settles  on  its  head. 

12.  Liberty  unsheathed  his  sword,  necessity  stained, 
victory  returned  it. 


GESTURE.  35 

13.  Who   brands   me    on  the  forehead,  breaks    my 

sword, 

Or  lays  the  bloody  scourge  upon  my  back, 
Wrongs  me  not  half  so  much  as  he  who  shuts 
The  gates  of  honor  on  me — turning  out 
The  Roman  from  his  birthright ;  and  for  what  ? 
To  fling  your  offices  to  every  slave  ! 

14.  Ye  guards  of  liberty, 
I'm  with  you  once  again  !     I  call  to  you 
With  all  my  voice  ! — I  hold  my  hands  to  you 
To  show  they  still  are  free  ! 

15.  I   care  not   how  high    his   situation,   how    low 
his  character,  how  contemptible   his  speech  ;  whether 
a  privy  counselor  or  a  parasite^  my  answer  would  be  a 
blow  ! 

1 6.  One  touch  to  her    hand  and  one  word    in  her 

ear, 
When    they    reached    the   hall    door  where    the 

charger  stood  near  ; 

So  light  to  the  croup  the  fair  lady  he  swung, 
So  light  to  the  saddle  before  her  he  sprung. 

17.  Hence  from   my  sight!      Thou  Satan,  get  be- 

hind me  ! 
Go  from  my  sight !     I  hate  and  I  despise  thee. 

1 8.  And  this  man 
Is  now  become  a  god  ;  and  Cassius  is 

A  wretched  creature,  and  must  bend  his  body 
If  Caesar  carelessly  but  nod  on  him. 

19.  The  bride  kissed  the  goblet,  the  knight  took  it 

up  ; 

He  quaffed  off   the    wine,  and  he    threw  down 
the  cup. 


36  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

20.  He  knew  me,  smiled  faintly,  gasped  and  died  ; 
— the  same  sweet  smile  upon  his  lips  that  I  had  marked, 
when,  in   adventurous  boyhood,   we   scaled  the  lofty 
cliff  to  pluck  the  first  ripe  grapes  and  bear  them  home 
in  childish  triumph. 

21.  If  ye  are  beasts,  then  stand  here  like  fat  oxen, 
waiting  for  the  butchervs  knife  !     If  ye  are  men,  follow 
me  ! 

22.  I  see  you  stand  like  greyhounds  in  the  slips, 
Straining  upon  the  start ; — the  game's  afoot ; 
Follow  your  spirit ;  and  upon  this  charge, 

Cry,  Heaven  for  Harry,  England,  and  St.  George! 

23.  Oh,  visions  of  glory  !     How  dazzling  they  seem  ! 

24.  Avert,  O  God  !  the  wrath  of  thy  indignation  ! 

25.  Flashed  all  their  sabers  bare, 
Flashed  as  they  turned  in  air, 
Sabring  the  gunners  there, 
Charging  an  army,  while 

All  the  world  wondered  ; 
Plunged  in  the  battery  smoke, 
Right  through  the  line  they  broke  ; 
Cossack  and  Russian 
Reeled  from  the  saber  stroke 

Shattered  and  sundered  ! 
Then  they  rode  back,  but  not, 
Not  the  six  hundred. 

Avoid  too  frequent  gesturing.  The  temperament  of 
the  speaker,  the  spirit  of  the  language,  and  the  nature 
of  the  occasion  must  determine  the  degree  of  physical 
expression  that  would  be  appropriate. 

Avoid  too  frequent  repetitions  of  the  same  gesture. 


GESTURE.  37 

Do  not  mistake  grimace  for  facial  expression.  Facial 
gymnastics  may  be  practiced  with  profit  to  make  flexi- 
ble the  muscles  of  the  face,  as  exercises  in  calisthenics 
for  the  purpose  of  adding  elasticity  and  grace  to  the 
movements  of  the  body  and  limbs.  But  the  means 
must  not  be  mistaken  for  the  object  and  end  of  the 
practice. 

The  features,  as  with  all  the  other  aids  to  physical 
expression,  must  be  shaped  from  within — not  from  with- 
out. In  true  expression,  they  are  prompted  by  the 
thought  and  feeling. 

"  The  strong  felt  passion  bolts  into  the  face  ; 
The  mind  untouched,  what  is  it  but  grimace  ? " 

The  attainment  of  grace,  versatility,  appropriateness, 
and  spontaneity  in  gesture  should  be  the  student's 
highest  endeavor,  as  it  is  the  crowning  excellence  in 
physical  expression. 


SIGNIFICANT    GESTURES. 

Without  the  hand,  no  eloquence.— Cressolius. 

Some  strange  commotion 
Is  in  his  brain  ;  he  bites  his  lip  and  starts ; 
Stops  on  a  sudden,  looks  upon  the  ground, 
Then,  lays  his  finger  on  his  temple  ;  straight 
Springs  out  into  fast  gait ;  then,  stops  again, 
Strikes  his  breast  hard  ;  and  anon,  he  casts 
His  eye  against  the  moon  ;  in  most  strange  postures 
We  have  seen  him  set  himself. — Shakespeare. 

ALL  gestures  are  relatively  significant,  just  as  all 
thought  is  relatively  emphatic.  But  what  are  under- 
stood as  Significant  Gestures  are  those  actions,  move- 
ments, or  motions  in  physical  expression  that  have  a 
common  origin  and  an  almost  universal  meaning.  They 
are  an  inheritance  from  the  past, — a  legacy  we  will 
surely  bequeath  to  those  who  follow  us.  They  com- 
prise the  "  traditional  stage  business  "  on  the  theater  of 
life,  to  be  enacted  by  generations  yet  unborn. 

Gesture,  as  already  stated,  is  pantomime  language — 
appealing  to  the  eye.  The  more  significant  movements 
and  attitudes  in  gesture  constitute  a  universal  language 
known  and  read  by  all. 

The  Egyptians  symbolized  language  by  a  hand  placed 
under  a  tongue. 

A  forcible  or  significant  gesture  often  conveys  a 
clearer  idea  of  the  thought  thus  expressed  than  the 
written  or  spoken  word  representing  the  thought.  The 
infant,  long  before  it  knows  the  meaning  of  words,  in- 
terprets the  meaning  of  a  frown  or  smile. 


SIGNIFICANT    GESTURES.  39 

Entire  dramas  were  enacted  by  the  ancients  with  the 
aid  of  pantomime  alone.  These  pantomimists  were 
understood,  not  only  by  the  Romans,  but  by  foreigners 
as  well. 

Roscius  challenged  Cicero  that  he  could  express  the 
same  idea  in  more  ways  by  gesture  than  the  great  Ro- 
man orator  could  by  words.  No  less  true  in  oratory 
than  in  drama,  is  the  homely  saying,  "Actions  speak 
louder  than  words." 

The  following  are  a  few  of  the  most  important  ges- 
tures regarded  as  significant.  Although  they  are  given 
separately  in  the  analysis  below,  they  are  generally  used 
together  in  the  expression  of  the  particular  thought  or 
passion.  Since  they  are  almost  self-explanatory,  the 
simple  enumeration  and  the  brief  explanations  given 
will  be  found  all  that  is  necessary  to  a  clear -under- 
standing of  them. 

THE  HEAD. — Quintilian  says,  "  As  the  head  gives 
the  crowning  grace  to  the  whole  body,  so  does  it  prin- 
cipally contribute  to  the  expression  of  grace  in  de- 
livery." 

The  poise  of  the  head  should  be  natural — not  held 
erect  nor  allowed  to  droop.  Its  normal  position  in  the 
attitude  of  grace  is  a  slight  inclination  in  the  direction 
of  the  strong  or  supporting  limb.  Its  movements  are 
suited  to  the  character  of  the  thought  and  emotions, 
and  are  made  in  perfect  harmony  with  the  other  phys- 
ical expressions. 

The  head,  to  a  slight  degree,  imitates  the  movements 
of  the  hands,  and  indicates  the  direction  of  the  step. 
With  a  few  exceptions,  a  motion  of  the  head,  unac- 
companied by  any  other  gesture,  is  considered  un- 
graceful. 


4O  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

Shame,  Grief,  and  Humility  are  indicated  by  the 
hanging  down  of  the  head. 

Arrogance  and  Pride,  by  its  being  thrown  back  and 
a  little  to  one  side. 

Firmness  and  Courage,  by  holding  it  in  an  upright 
and  firm  position. 

Affirmation  and  Permission,  by  the  forward  nod. 

Negation  and  Dislike,  by  the  shaking  and  tossing  of 
the  head  back. 

Languor  and  Diffidence  are  implied  by  the  head 
being  allowed  to  droop  or  incline  to  one  side. 

Dislike  and  Horror  are  indicated  by  the  averted  head. 

In  Attention,  the  head  leans  forward  ;  in  Listening, 
the  ear  is  turned  to  the  front. 

THE  EYES. — The  eyes,  with  their  adjuncts,  the  eye- 
brows and  eyelids,  are  capable  of  the  most  subtle  ex- 
pression. Their  power  and  significance  are  greater 
than  all  the  other  features  combined. 

"  A  single  look  more  marks  the  internal  woe 
Than  all  the  windings  of  the  lengthened  <  oh  ! ' 
Up  to  the  face  the  quick  sensation  flies, 
And  darts  its  meaning  from  the  speaking  eyes. 
Love,  transport,  madness,  anger,  scorn,  despair, 
And  all  the  passions,  all  the  soul  is  there." 

The  orator  and  reader  who  fails  to  avail  himself  of 
the  help  which  comes  from  the  look,  and  the  varied 
emotions  which  the  eye  may  express,  can  never  feel  the 
electric  thrill  that  vibrates  between  the  speaker  and 
hearer.  Through  the  sense  of  sight,  we  seem  to  have 
the  power  of  "  touching  each  other  at  a  distance."  The 
eyes  should  be  directed  to  the  face  of  the  audience, 


SIGNIFICANT    GESTURES.  41 

As  a  general  thing,  they  precede  a  gesture,  and  return 
immediately  to  the  hearer,  that  the  emphasis  by  voice 
and  action  may  be  augmented  by  the  look. 

In  reading,  the  eyes  should  leave  the  page  as  often 
and  as  long  as  possible  without  losing  the  place.  They 
should  be  trained  to  gather  at  a  glance  the  whole  of 
each  clause  or  phrase  ;  and  as  often  as  it  is  safe,  the 
reader  should  deliver  the  words  looking  at  the  audi- 
ence. The  best  time  to  take  the  eyes  from  the  book 
is  near  the  close  of  a  sentence.  The  period  pause  will 
enable  the  eyes  of  the  reader  to  return  to  the  page  and 
catch  the  beginning  of  the  next  sentence. 

The  following  are  some  of  the  most  significant  uses 
of  the  eyes. 

In  Prayer,  the  eyes  are  raised. 
In  Sorrow,  they  weep. 
In  Anger,  they  burn. 

Scorn  is  expressed  by  the  averted  eyes  when  accom- 
panied by  the  other  facial  means. 

In  Grief  or  Shame,  they  are  cast  down,  turned  away, 
or  hidden. 

Doubt  and  Fear  cause  the  eyes  to  be  cast  in  various 
directions. 

In  Meditation  and  Thought  they  are  fixed  on  va- 
cancy. 

Dr.  Austin,  in  his  Chironomia,  says  :  "  As  much  of  the 
mind  is  discovered  by  the  countenance,  and  particularly 
through  the  windows  of  the  eyes,  so  all  men  examine  the 
countenance  and  look  into  the  eyes  of  those  from  whom  they 
have  any  expectations,  or  with  whom  they  are  to  have  any 
important  intercourse  or  dealings.  Nay,  the  very  domestic 


42  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

animals  learn  thus  to  read  the  human  countenance,  and  the 
dog  is  found  to  look  for  his  surest  and  most  intelligible  in- 
structions into  his  master's  eyes." 

THE  ARMS  AND  THE  HANDS. — The  significance  of 
the  Arms  and  Hands  is  more  marked,  and  their  use  of 
more  frequent  occurrence  than  that  of  all  the  other 
means  for  physical  expression  combined.  Especially 
is  this  true  in  Oratory. 

Besides  the  more  general  uses  of  the  arms  and  hands 
heretofore  given  in  the  exercises  for  drill,  the  following 
are  what  elocutionists  regard  as  especially  significant 
in  the  expression  of  certain  emotions  : 

Pain  or  distress  is  indicated  by  placing  or  pressing 
the  hand  upon  the  head. 

Shame  or  Sorrow,  upon  the  eyes. 
Silence,  upon  the  lips. 

An  Appeal  to  Conscience  or  a  Declaration  of  Love, 
by  placing  the  hand  on  the  breast  over  the  heart. 

Deep  Affliction  and  Mental  or  Physical  Distress  are 
expressed  by  both  hands  pressed  in  the  same  position. 

In  Joy,  the  hand  is  waved. 

In  Dislike  and  Contempt,  flourished. 

In  Friendship,  the  arms  are  extended,  and  sometimes 
received. 

The  fingers  of  the  right  hand  placed  in  the  palm  of 
the  left  denotes  fixing  a  point — used  in  argument. 

Carried  from  the  lips  outward  means  throwing  a  kiss. 
This  movement  also  signifies  a  giving  out  or  sending 
forth  words  in  cordiality  and  candor. 

THE  BODY. — The  Body,  in  its  different  attitudes  and 


SIGNIFICANT    GESTURES.  43 

positions,  expresses  different  emotions  and  conditions  of 
the  mind,  and  thus  has  its  significance  in  the  communi. 
cation  of  thought. 

Resolution  and  Courage  hold  the  body  erect. 

Pride  throws  it  back. 

Condescension  and  Compassion  take  a  stooping  pos- 
ture. 

Reverence  and  Respect  are  denoted  by  a  bending  of 
the  body. 

Polite  recognition,  by  bowing. 

Great  Humility  and  Abasement,  by  utter  prostration. 

THE  LOWER  LIMBS. — Obstinacy  and  Bravery  are  rn- 
dicated  by  the  firmness  of  the  lower  limbs. 

Desire  and  Courage,  by  the  attitude  or  act  of  ad- 
vancing. 

Timidity  and  Weakness,  by  the  bended  knee  or  un- 
steadiness of  the  limbs. 

In  Dislike  and  Fear,  they  shrink  and  retire. 

In  Terror,  they  start. 

In  Authority  and  Anger,  they  stamp. 

In  Submission  and  Prayer,  they  kneel. 

Imitative  Gestures  may  sometimes  be  employed  with 
good  effect  in  graphic  description  and  in  comic  styles. 

The  foregoing  exercises  and  instructions  in  Physical 
Expression  comprise  but  a  portion  of  this  great  de- 
partment of  Elocution  ;  but  what  are  given  are  funda- 
mental, and  will  be  found  more  than  ample  for  the  lim- 
ited time  which  the  student  of  elocution  generally 
deems  practicable  to  devote  to  this  branch  of  the  sub- 
ject. 


PLATE  I.— SECTION  OF  THE  HUMAN  BODY. 
N,  Nasal  Passage.  H,  Hard  Palate.  S,  Soft  Palate. 


ORGANS   OF   SPEECH. 

THE  study  of  Elocution  presumes  some  knowledge  of 
the  Organs  of  Speech.  Certainly  the  cultivation  and 
preservation  of  the  voice  cannot  be  so  well  and  so  surely 
effected  without  such  a  knowledge  as  they  can  with  it. 
And  for  the  correction  of  faults  in  breathing,  in  the 
production  of  tone,  and  in  articulation,  it  is  not  only 
important,  but  essential,  that  a  knowledge  of  the  organs 
of  speech  be  possessed  by  those  who  wish  to  correct 
such  faults  in  themselves  or  in  others. 

The  Organs  of  Speech  comprise  the  Breathing  Or- 
gans, which  furnish  and  control  the  breath  ;  the  Vocal 
Organs,  which  convert  the  breath  into  tone,  and  which 
give  to  voice  its  various  characteristics,  such  as  fullness, 
resonancy,  purity,  and  other  qualities  ;  and  the  Articu- 
latory  Organs  that  manufacture  the  tone  and  breath 
into  articulate  elements  of  speech. 

THE  BREATHING  ORGANS. — Of  the  muscles  and  or- 
gans that  furnish  and  control  the  breath,  the  following 
are  the  most  important : 

1.  The  Diaphragm,  a  muscle  separating  the  abdom- 
inal from  the  lung  cavity.     It  forms  the  floor  of  the 
chest  and  the  roof  of  the  abdominal  cavity. 

2.  The   Abdominal    Muscles,  extending   across   the 
abdomen  and  the  waist  in  front. 

3.  The  Costal  and  Intercostal  Muscles  (from  costa,  a 
rib),  which  are  attached  to  the  ribs,  and  in  conjunction 
with  the  abdominal  muscles  and  the  diaphragm,  aid  in 
the  elevation  and  depression  of  the  short  ribs.     This 


40  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

movement  is  most  noticeable  in  the  panting  of  the  tired 
horse. 

4.  The  Pectoral  Muscles,  so  called  from  their  extend- 
ing over  the  pectus  or  chest. 

5.  The  Thorax,  or  the  cavity  containing  the  lungs. 

6.  The  lungs,  with  their  numerous  air-cells  and  tubes 
all  connected  and  terminating  in  two  tubes — one  from 
each  lung,  called 

[Plates  from  I.  to  V.  inclusive  are  from  Brown  &  Bhenke's  u  Voice,  Song. 
and  Speech,"  London. 


PLATE  II.— THE  LUNGS,  BRONCHIAL  TUBES,  TRACHEA,   AND  LARYNX. 

V,  Larynx  or  "  voice-box." 

W,  Trachea  or  windpipe,  with  its  two  branches,  called  bronchi. 

R,  Right  Lung. 

L,  Left  Lung,  showing  the  divisions  and  ramifications  of  the  left  bronchus, 
with  the  subdivisions  of  the  air  tubes  that  terminate  in  small  cavities  of 
points,  called  "  air-cells." 


ORGANS    OF    SPEECH. 


47 


7.  The  Bronchi,  which  also  join,  forming  the  large 
tube  known  as, 

8.  The  Trachea  or  Windpipe. 

THE  VOCAL  ORGANS. — The  Vocal  Organs  comprise 
the  Larynx  or  Voice  Box,  and  the  Resonance  Cham- 
bers. 

The  Larynx  is  situated  at  the  top  of  the  trachea,  and 
consists  principally  of  the  following  parts  : 


PLATE  III.— FRONT  VIEW  OF  THE  LARYNX. 

S25  13.  Thyroid  or  "  shield  "  cartilage. 

14.  Cricoid  or  u  ring  "  cartilage. 

so,  ii.  Epiglottis  or  "lid  "  of  Glottis. 

5.  Hyoid  or  "  tongue  "  Bone— (os  hyoides}. 

16.  Trachea,  showing  the  cartilaginous  rings  of  which  it  is  composed, 
i,  2.  Upper  Horns  of  the  Thyroid  Cartilage. 
3,  4.  Lower  Horns  of  the  Thyroid  Cartilage. 

6,  7.  Horns  of  the  Hyoid  Bone. 

15.  Elastic  Membrane  or  Band  uniting  the  Thyroid  with  the  Cricoid  Car 
tilagc. 


48  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

i.  The  Thyroid  Cartilage,  composed  of  two  parts, 
called  altzy  or  wings,  which  are  joined  together  in  front, 
and  form  the  prominence  known  as  Adam's  Apple.  Be- 
low this  and  connecting  it  to  the  trachea  is, 


PLATE  IV. — THE  LARYNX  SEEN  FROM  BEHIND. 

1,2.  Cricoid  Cartilage. 

3,  4.  Arytenoid  Muscles. 

5,  6.  Posterior  edges  of  the  Thyroid  Cartilage. 

7,  8.  Hyoid  Bone. 

9,  12,  and  ic,  13.     "  Buffer"  and  "Prop"  Cartilages. 

ii,  14,  15.     The  Epiglottis. 

16.  Trachea. 

17.  "  Cushion  "  of  the  Epiglottis. 

18.  19-  Posterior  Crico-Arytenoid  or  "  ring-pyramid  "   Muscles. 

20,  21,  and  22,  23.    Constrictors  of  the  "Vestibule"  or  entrance  to  the 
Larynx. 

2.  The  Cricoid  Cartilage,  so  called  from  its  resem- 
bling a  seal  ring — the  seal  or  large  portion  extending 
backward,  forming  the  base  of  the  larynx  and  the  foun* 
dation  for  the  attachment  of, 


ORGANS    OF    SPEECH.  49 

3.  The  Two  Arytenoid  or  Pyramid  Cartilages,  which 
are  movable  upon  their  bases,  and  are  employed  in  ap- 
proximating or  bringing  together, 


PLATE  V.— VIEW  OF  A  SECTION  OF  THE  LARYNX  FROM  ABOVE. 

1,2.  Muscular  Processes  of  the  Arytenoid  Cartilages. 

3,  3.  "  Ring  "  Cartilage. 

4,  i,  and  5,  2.  Posterior  Crico- Arytenoid  or  "  back  ring-pyramid  "  Muscles. 
6,  7.  Vocal  "  processes  "  of  the  "  pyramid  "  Cartilages. 

6,  ii,  and  7,  12.  Vocal  Ligaments  or  Bands. 

8.  Arytenoid  Muscle. 

9,  10.  Elsberg's  "  Vocal  Nodules." 
13,  14.  Thyroid  Cartilage. 

15,  16.  Lateral  Crico- Arytenoid^or  "side  ring-pyramid"  Muscles. 
19  and  20.  Crico- Arytenoid  or  "ring-pyramid     Bands. 

4.  The  two  vocal  Ligaments,  which  are  also  called 
"vocal  chords,"  but  more  properly,  "  vocal  bands." 

The  Vocal  Ligaments  are  thin,  semicircular  mem- 
branes, with  straight,  firm,  elastic  edges,  that  approach 
each  other  when  tone  is  to  be  produced.  The  outer 
circular  edges  are  attached  to  the  inside  of  the  larynx. 

The  anterior  or  front  ends  of  their  straight  edges  are 
fastened  at  a  common  point  near  the  base  of  the 
Larynx  ;  the  posterior  end  of  eachjs  attached  to  the 
apex  of  an  Arytenoid  Cartilage. 

By  the  movement  of  these  "  pyramid  "  cartilages  upon 


50  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

their  bases,  the  vocal  bands  are  adjusted  so  as  to  form  a 
small  narrow  opening  through  which  the  breath  passes, 
and  in  passing  causes  the  edges  of  the  bands  to  vibrate. 
The  vibrations  produce  tone  or  voice. 

Tins  pitch  of  the  tone  depends  chiefly  upon  the  tension 
of  the  bands;  and  the  loudness,  upon  the  strength  of 
their  vibrations;  while  the  fullness ',  resonancy  and  volume 
of  the  voice  depend  upon  the  size  and  passivity  of  the 
resonance  chambers,  the  freedom  and  elasticity  of  the 
vocal  ligaments,  and  the  pressure  of  the  supporting  air- 
column,  and  especially  upon  the  "  passive-activity  "  (a 
carelessly-careful  condition)  of  all  the  parts  employed 
in  the  production  of  tone. 

5.  The  Glottis.    Properly,  this  is  the  opening  between 
the  vocal  bands,  but  the  entrance  to  the  larynx,  and  also 
to  its  entire  cavity,  is   more  commonly  known  by  this 
name. 

The  rim  of  the  glottis  forms  the  upper  border  of  the 
larynx,  the  entrance  to  which  is  guarded  by, 

6.  The  Epiglottis.    This  is  a  tongue-shaped  cartilage 
that  shuts  upon  the  rim  of  the  glottis  whenever  we  swal- 
low, thus  closing  the  passage-way  to  the  lungs  and  pre- 
venting strangulation.     It  is  attached  to  a  U-shaped 
bone  (the  os  hyoides\  to  which  the  tongue  is  also  joined. 
The  hyoid  is  a  "  floating  bone,"  not  forming  a  part  of 
the  skeleton,  and  is  chiefly  employed  in  keeping  the 
parts  at  the  base  of  the  tongue  in  place. 

The  ordinary  condition  of  the  Epiglottis  is  a  position 
in  which  it  rests  against  the  base  of  the  tongue,  allow- 
ing free  inhalation  and  exhalation  of  the  air  in  its  pas- 
sage to  and  from  the  lungs  through  the  glottis.  It  is 
like  a  trap-door  held  open  by  springs,  that  must  be 
pulled  upon  to  be  closed. 


ORGANS    OF    SPEECH.  51 

In  the  act  of  swallowing,  it  shuts  from  the  front  back- 
ward, allowing  the  food  and  saliva  to  pass  safely  over 
the  top  of  the  larynx  into  the  oesophagus  or  "  gullet." 
This  act  is  also  accompanied  by  an  elevation  of  the 
uvula  and  soft  palate,  thus  closing  the  entrance  to  the 
nasal  passage  and  preventing  food  from  passing  in  that 
direction. 

Though  a  useful  sentinel,  keeping  guard  over  the 
glottis,  in  the  production  of  tone  the  Epiglottis  is  often 
a  mischievous  meddler.  Any  contraction  of  the  mus- 
cles about  the  base  of  the  tongue,  or  those  of  the  jaw 
or  neck,  is  apt  to  contract  the  muscles  that  control  the 
action  of  the  epiglottis,  causing  it  partially  to  close  the 
entrance  of  the  larynx.  This  has  the  effect  of  produc- 
ing the  throaty  tone  so  often  heard  in  uncultivated 
voices.  In  fact,  it  is  one  of  the  most  common  faults 
in  the  production  of  tone.  This  contraction  of  the 
throat  is  commonly  caused  by  nervousness,  embarrass- 
ment, or  undue  excitement  or  haste  on  the  part  of  the 
speaker.  The  habit  of  cramping  the  throat  is  often 
thus  formed  until  it  becomes  a  "  second  nature," — very 
difficult  to  break  up.  Hence,  an  avoidance  of  any 
contraction  about  the  throat  is  the  first  essential  con- 
dition in  the  proper  production  of  tone,  either  for  speak- 
ing or  singing. 

The  other  vocal  organs  are, 

The  Resonance  Chambers,  comprising, 

1.  The  Trachea,  a  hollow  tube  below  the  larynx  ; 

2.  The  cavity  within  the  larynx  ; 

3.  The  Pharynx  or  back  mouth  ; 

4.  The  Mouth  proper  ; 

5.  The  Vestibule  of  the  nose  ;  and 

6.  The  Nasal  cavities. 


52  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

The  walls  that  inclose  all  these  variously  shaped 
chambers  have  a  delicate  lining  called  the  mucous  mem- 
brane, the  healthy  condition  of  which  has  much  to  do 
with  clearness  and  other  qualities  of  voice. 

It  is  within  these  several  cavities  that  the  tone  pro- 
duced by  the  vibration  of  the  vocal  bands  is  resounded, 
adding  much  to  the  various  characteristics  and  qualities 
of  the  voice,  such  as  fullness,  volume,  resonancy,  etc. 

The  Resonance  Chambers  serve  the  same  purpose 
to  the  vocal  ligaments  that  the  body  of  the  violin  does 
to  the  violin  strings,  or  the  tube  of  the  clarionet  to  the 
tongue  of  that  instrument.  There  would  be  but  little 
loudness  or  character  produced  by  the  vibration  of  the 
violin  strings  detached  from  the  instrument,  whatever 
might  be  their  tension  or  however  great  their  agitation. 
It  is  owing  to  their  position  on  the  body  of  the  violin, 
and  the  manner  of  their  connection,  that  the  attuned 
strings  of  that  wonderful  instrument  are  enabled  to 
give  forth  the  sweetest  sounds  that  human  mechanism 
can  execute,  sounds  that  almost  vie  with  those  produced 
by  that  still  more  wonderful  instrument — that  divine 
mechanism — the  human  voice. 

ORGANS  OF  ARTICULATION. — See  Plate  I.  The 
Articulatory  organs  are  all  situated  above  the  larynx. 
They  comprise, 

1.  The  Hard  Palate,  or  roof  of  the  mouth  ; 

2.  The  Soft  Palate,  forming,  with  the  Uvula,  a  pen- 
dent veil  or  curtain  at  the  passage-way  between  the 
mouth  and  the  pharynx  ; 

3.  The  Tongue  ; 

4.  The  Teeth  ; 

5.  The  Lips  ;  and 

6.  The  walls  of  the  Nose. 


ORGANS    OF    SPEECH.  53 

These  are  the  parts  that  manufacture,  out  of  the 
tone  and  breath,  articulate  elements  of  speech. 

Thus,  for  example,  the  element  represented  b.y  b  is 
made  by  obstructing  the  tone  with  the  compressed 
lips  ;  ;;/,  by  diverting  the  sound  thus  formed  into  the 
nasal  cavities  ;  and/,  by  the  sudden  separation  of  the 
compressed  lips,  causing  a  percussive  explosion  of  the 
breath.  By  a  similar  manipulation  of  tone  and  breath, 
with  the  tip  of  the  tongue  pressed  against  the  upper 
gum  of  the  front  teeth,  the  articulate  elements  repre- 
sented by  d,  n,  and  /  are  produced.  So,  with  the  back 
surface  of  the  tongue  brought  in  contact  with  the  soft 
palate  in  the  back  part  of  the  mouth,  the  elements  sym- 
bolized by  g  (hard),  ng  (as  in  ring)y  and  ^,  are  articu- 
lated in  like  manner. 

Other  explanations  of  the  action  and  uses  of  the 
organs  of  speech  will  be  given  under  the  respective 
heads  of  Breathing,  Voice  Culture,  and  Articulation. 

Since  the  limitation  of  knowledge  upon  any  subject 
of  science  is  inversely  to  the  amount  of  investigation 
and  study  given  to  the  subject,  it  is  to  be  hoped  that 
the  student  of  elocution  will  not  confine  his  knowledge 
of  the  Anatomy  of  the  organs  of  speech  to  the  brief 
descriptions  and  explanations  given  in  this  manual,  but 
that  the  little  here  given  will  induce  him  to  study  the 
subject  as  treated  in  the  large  anatomical  books  and 
charts,  and  also  avail  himself  of  the  use  of  the  laryngo- 
scope, by  means  of  which  the  vocal  bands  may  be  seen 
in  action. 


, 


54 


VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 


The  above  cut  is  from  Dr.  Cohen's  Health  Primer,  "  The  Throat  and  Voice,"  Phila. 
PLATE  VI. — IMAGE  OF  VOCAL  APPARATUS  AS  SEEN  IN  A  MIRROR  HELD 

FAR    BACK   IN   THE    MOUTH. 

This  represents  an  almost  vertical  view  of  some  of  the  more  important  Vo- 
cal Organs.  The  picture  in  the  mirror  is  not  only  inverted,  but  also  reversed. 

The  vocal  bands  are  separated  as  in  the  expiration  of  the  breath,  while 
between  them  are- seen  the  three  upper  ring's  of  the  windpipe. 

The  tip  of  the  epiglottis  is  shown  near  (he  upper  edge  of  the  mirror, 
and  the  "  rim  of  the  glottis  "  at  the  sides  and  below. 


BREACHING    EXERCISES. 

THE  proper  develo£>rrierit  and  control  of  the  Breath- 
ing Organs,  and  the  correct  use  of  the  breath  in  the 
production  of  tone,  are  the  first  and  most  essential 
conditions  to  success  in  the  study  and  practice  of 
Elocution. 

No  substantial  progress  can  be  assured  the  student 
who  does  not  give  early  and  special  attention  to  the 
exercises  in  Breathing. 

Breath  is  the  chief  source  of  power.  It  is  the  "  lum- 
ber-yard of  the  orator" — the  rough  material  out  of 
which  speech  is  manufactured. 

But  it  is  not  so  much  the  amount  of  breath  that  is  de- 
sirable, as  the  manner  in  which  it  is  used.  Here,  econ- 
omy is  better  than  quantity.  Nothing  will  so  soon 
bankrupt  a  voice  as  prodigality  of  breath. 

CALISTHENIC    BREATHINGS. 

Success  in  the  control  of  breath  depends  largely 
upon  the  strength  and  flexibility  of  the  muscles  of  the 
waist,  particularly  the  abdominal  muscles.  What  is 
known  as  Abdominal  or  Waist  Breathing  is  regarded 
by  the  best  voice  culturists  and  physiologists  as  the 
only  correct  and  normal  method.  The  canary  in  its 
cage,  the  cat  on  the  rug,  the  babe  in  the  cradle,  and  the 
red-man  in  his  native  wilds,  all  teach  us  that  the  abdom- 
inal breathing  is  nature  s  method.  If  you  are  uncer- 
tain what  this  is,  practice  the  following  breathing  ex- 


56  VOICE   CULTURE    AND   ELOCUTION. 

ercises,  and  notice  what  takes  place  at  the  waist  in 
front :  See  cuts  on  page  60. 

First,  empty  the  lungs.  Then  slowly  and  continu- 
ously sip  in  the  air  between  the  partially  compressed 
lips,  until  the  lungs  are  well  filled.  You  will  observe 
an  expansion  or  pressing  forward  at  the  waist.  Then 
let  out  the  breath  through  the  compressed  lips  as  slowly 
and  gently  as  it  was  taken  in.  You  will  now  notice 
the  abdominal  muscles  relaxing  and  gradually  giving 
way.  This  action  is  essential  to  correct  breathing. 
The  diaphragm  or  floor  of  the  lung  cavity  is  lowered 
during  the  process  of  the  inhalation  of  the  breath, 
and  raised  in  the  exhalation.  The  exercise  given  above 
may  be  practiced  with  great  benefit  in  the  following 
manner : 

BLOWING  AND  SIPPING  THE  BREATH.  —  With  the 
hands  on  the  hips,  elbows  and  shoulders  well  back,  and 
fingers  placed  upon  the  abdominal  muscles,  first  empty 
the  lungs  by  blowing  the  air  steadily  and  forcibly 
through  a  quill  tooth-pick,  or  any  other  small  tube,  held 
tightly  between  the  lips.  Then  fill  the  lungs  by  sipping 
the  air  in  through  the  quill  with  as  much  force  as  you 
can.  This  is  one  of  the  very  best  exercises  for  strength- 
ening the  diaphragm  and  abdominal  muscles.  Avoid 
raising  the  shoulders  while  breathing  ;  keep  them  well 
back  and  down. 

FULL  AND  DEEP  BREATHING. — With  hands  in  the 
same  position,  first  exhaust  the  lungs,  pressing  the 
fingers  tightly  upon  the  waist  in  front,  and  stooping  for- 
ward a  little  ;  then,  while  straightening  up,  fill  the 
lungs  slowly,  taking  in  the  breath  through  the  nostrils, 
until  every  air  cell  is  filled.  Retain  the  breath  a  short 
time,  and  as  slowly  exhale  it.  This  may  be  repeated 


BREATHING    EXERCISES.  57 

several  times.  While  retaining  the  breath,  it  is  a  good 
practice  to  pat  the  chest,  waist,  and  sides,  by  a  quick 
and  flexible  stroke  with  the  flat  of  the  fingers.  If  any 
of  the  breathing  exercises  produce  dizziness,  stop  and 
rest,  and  then  try  again. 

THE  SAME  WITH  AUDIBLE  EXPULSION. — A  good 
variation  of  the  above  exercise  is  to  expel  the  breath 
audibly,  allowing  it  to  impinge  on  the  walls  of  the 
throat,  or,  more  particularly,  on  the  rim  of  the  glottis. 
Practice  with  different  degrees  of  force. 

DEEP  BREATHING  WHILE  WALKING  may  be  practiced 
with  great  profit  in  the  following  manner  :  With  the 
hands  resting  on  the  muscles  of  the  waist,  expel  the 
breath  while  walking,  say,  five  steps  ;  keep  the  lungs 
empty  during  another  five  ;  inflate  them  during  five 
more,  and  retain  the  breath  while  walking  another  five 
steps  ;  making  one  inhalation  and  one  exhalation  for 
every  twenty  steps.  This  exercise  may  be  repeated 
several  times  daily. 

Many  other  calisthenic  breathing  exercises  might  be 
given,  but  these  will  be  found  sufficient  Great  impor- 
tance is  attached  to  emptying  the  lungs  first  in  all  of  the 
foregoing  exercises,  that  the  waist  muscles  may  take 
their  proper  action  in  the  inhalation.  Remember  that 
the  muscles  at  the  waist  contract  in  expelling  the  breath, 
and  expand  in  taking  it  in. 

The  breathing  organs  may  be  compared  to  the  old- 
fashioned  fire-bellows.  The  windpipe  is  the  nozzle, 
the  chest,  the  body  of  the  bellows,  and  the  abdominal 
and  other  muscles  of  the  waist,  the  handles.  Now,  in 
working  the  fire-bellows,  you  would  not  take  hold  of 
the  body,  but  the  handles.  So  the  human  bellows  should 


58  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

be  worked,  not  by  the  muscles  of  the  upper  chest,  but 
by  those  of  the  waist— the  handles. 

If  the  habit  of  breathing  through  the  nostrils  be  not 
already  formed,  establish  it  at  once.  Nothing  is  so  det- 
rimental to  the  throat  and  lungs  as  habitual  breathing 
through  the  mouth.  The  nose  is  nature's  filter.  In  it 
the  atmosphere  is  warmed,  and  the  dust  and  other  im- 
purities strained  from  the  air  in  its  passage  to  the  lungs, 
thus  preventing  many  throat  and  lung  troubles.  Pro- 
fessor Tyndall  says  that  if  he  could  leave  the  world  a 
legacy,  he  would  embody  it  in  the  words,  "  Keep  your 
mouth  shut."  Catlin,  the  great  English  physiologist, 
says,  "Shut  your  mouth  and  save  your  life."  If  you 
find  that  you  sleep  with  your  mouth  open,  practice  clos- 
ing it  tightly  upon  retiring,  and  keep  it  closed  as  long 
as  consciousness  remains.  This  will  soon  break  up  one 
of  the  worst  habits  of  which  you  can  be  guilty. 

ELOCUTIONARY  BREATHINGS. 

In  speech  the  breath  is  utilized  in  its  passage  from 
the  lungs.  However  important  the  correct  inhalation 
of  the  breath  may  be  in  elocution,  its  exhalation  is  of 
still  greater  concern,  as  quality  and  control  of  voice  de- 
pend most  largely  upon  the  manner  in  which  the  breath 
is  managed  in  its  passage  from  the  lungs.  Particular 
attention  should  therefore  be  given  to  the  following 
exercises.  There  are  three  ways  of  letting  out  the 
breath  in  speech — the  effusive,  the  expulsive,  and  the 
explosive. 

EFFUSIVE  BREATHING. — Inflate  the  lungs  as  directed 
in  the  calisthenic  breathing  exercises.  Then,  with  the 
hands  on  the  hips  and  fingers  pressing  gently  on  the 


BREATHING    EXERCISES.  59 

muscles  of  the  waist  at  the  sides  in  front,  and  with 
mouth  well  but  gently  opened,  slowly  let  out  the  breath, 
as  soft  and  as  long  as  possible,  making  such  sound  as 
is  heard  in  a  seashell  held  to  the  ear.  When  this  sound 
flows  out  smoothly,  it  shows  that  the  student  has  full 
control  of  the  breathing.  But  if  the  breath  be  rough 
or  jerky,  careful  and  continued  practice  will  be  neces- 
sary to  correct  the  fault.  Vary  the  exercise  by  intoning 
o  on  the  notes  of  the  musical  scale,  as  soft,  smooth,  and 
long  as  possible.  This  is  good  practice  for  the  develop- 
ment of  purity  of  tone. 

EXPULSIVE  BREATHING. — Inflate  the  lungs,  then  by 
a  forcible  but  steady  contraction  of  the  abdominal  mus- 
cles, shove  out  the  breath,  giving  the  sound  of  the  aspi- 
rate //.  Practice  this  several  times,  but  discontinue  if  it 
makes  you  dizzy.  Vary  the  exercise  by  giving  "  who," 
in  a  forcible  whisper  (taking  breath  after  each  word), 
thus  :  who,  who,  who.  Then  whisper  the  first  two, 
and  voice  the  last  thus  :  who,  who,  WHO.  Next  whis- 
per the  first  and  speak  the  last  two  thus  :  who,  WHO, 
WHO.  Lastly  speak  all  three  with  the  same  action  as 
that  used  in  giving  the  whisper  :  WHO,  WHO,  WHO.  Do 
not  try  to  give  the  words  in  a  pure  tone  of  voice  ;  let 
them  be  "breathy."  It  is  not  a  vocal,  but  a  breathing 
exercise. 

Next  give  the  long  vowels  /  and  o  each  several  times, 
in  a  full,  resonant,  and  affirmative  tone. 

As  an  application  of  Expulsive  Breathing  in  speech, 
practice  the  following  sentence  with  the  same  reso- 
nance and  fullness  of  voice  with  which  the  vowels  were 
given.  "  Rise,  fathers,  RISE!  'tis  ROME  demands  your 
help." 


6o 


VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 


EXPLOSIVE  BREATHING. — Take  a  full  deep  breath, 
and  with  a  strong  and  sudden  contraction  of  the  ab- 
dominal muscles,  give  the  aspirate  h  in  an  explosive 
whisper.  Then  in  the  same  manner  whisper  the  sylla- 
ble hoo  (oo  short)  thus  :  hoo,  hoo,  hoo.  Vary  this  prac- 
tice as  with  "  Who  "  in  the  preceding  exercise,  thus : 
hoo,  hoo,  HOO  ;  hoo,  HOO,  HOO  ;  HOO,  HOO,  HOO.  The 
following,  given  in  a  forcible  whisper,  is  a  good  prac- 
tice, and  one  of  the  best  for  strengthening  the  lungs  : 
"  How  far  !  how  sad  !  " — exhausting  the  lungs  on  far 
and  sad.  It  is  tiresome  and  should  not  be  practiced 
long  at  a  time.  Then  give  the  same  words  in  a  forcible 
half  whisper,  or  aspirated  tone.  Next  give  the  vowels, 
a,  e,  and  ow  with  great  force  and  abruptness.  Then 
embody  them  in  the  following  words,  giving  the  words 
with  the  proper  degree  of  force,  and  with  the  required 
expression,  thus  :  "  Thou  slave !  thou  WRETCH  !  thou 
COWARD  ! " 

The  following  cuts,  true  to  life,  illustrate  correct 
breathing  : 

FIG.  I.  Shows  the  position  of 
the  abdomen  and  the  diaphragm 
when  the  breath  is  expelled. 

FlG.  II.  Shows  their  position 
when  the  lungs  are  properly 
filled. 

The  dotted  lines  represent  the 
positions  of  the  diaphragm — the 
floor  of  the  lung  cavity.  As 
shown,  the  upward  bulge  of  the 
diaphragm  is  greater  when  the 
lungs  are  empty  [FiG.  I.],  than 
when  filled  [FiG.  II.] 


FIG.  I. 


FIG.  II. 


VOICE    CULTURE. 

Give  me  its  varying  music,  the  flow  of  its  free  modulation. 
***  #  *  ###* 

Our  organ  can  speak  with  its  many  and  wonderful  voices. 
Play  on  the  soft  lute  of  love,  blow  the  loud  trumpet  of  war, 
Sing  with  the  high  sesquialtro,  or,  drawing  its  full  diapason, 
Shake  all  the  air  with  the  grand  storm  of  its  pedals  and  stops. 

—  W.  W.  Story. 

A  GOOD  voice  is  essential  to  good  elocution.  A  poor 
voice  may  be  made  good,  and  a  good  voice  still  better, 
or  even  excellent,  by  proper  culture.  Were  the  pos- 
sibilities of  voice  improvement  adequately  appreciated, 
more  attention  would  be  given  to  this  department  by 
students  and  teachers  of  elocution.  Instead  of  being 
the  most  neglected  branch,  it  would  come  to  be  the 
most  important. 

James  E.  Murdoch,  teacher,  author,  and  actor,  says  : 
"  In  an  experience  extending  over  forty  years,  I  have 
been  brought  to  the  conviction  that  voice  culture  is 
what  is  most  needed  in  the  study  of  elocution."  And 
it  is  the  experience  of  every  other  teacher  and  student 
who  has  given  the  subject  that  close  and  careful  atten- 
tion which  it  deserves. 

No  substantial  progress  in  the  cultivation  of  the 
voice  can  be  made,  until  a  practical  knowledge  of  the 
production  of  tone  be  acquired.  This  presumes  a 
proper  degree  of  strength,  flexibility,  and  control  of  the 
muscles  of  the  waist.  What  is  known  as  the  abdominal 
or  diaphragmatic  breathing  is  Nature's  method  for  the 
inhalation  and  exhalation  of  the  breath,  and  is  the  one 


62  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

in  which  the  air-column  is  best  sustained  and  controlled 
in  its  passage  through  the  larynx. 

The  first  and  most  essential  requirement  for  the  cor- 
rect production  of  tone  is  a  condition  of  relaxation  and 
freedom  about  the  throat.  All  effort  must  be  trans- 
ferred from  the  throat  to  the  muscles  of  breathing. 
The  controlling  consciousness  should  be  to  speak 
through  the  throat  and  not  with  it.  By  doing  so,  the 
sound  will  then  "lay  hold  of  the  throat,"  and  not  the 
throat  hold  of  the  sound,  as  is  too  often  the  case.  The 
relaxation  of  the  muscles  about  the  throat — especially 
those  of  the  jaw  and  epiglottis — will  render  impossible 
that  "throaty  voice,"  so  disastrous  to  good  speaking, 
and  which  is  as  painful  to  the  hearer  as  it  is  hurtful  to 
the  speaker. 

This,  as  well  as  most  of  the  other  faults  in  the  pro- 
duction of  tone,  may  be  corrected,  and  a  pure,  reso- 
nant, and  agreeable  voice  developed  by  an  intelligent 
and  patient  practice  in  right  methods. 

While  all  the  exercises  given  under  articulation, 
modulation,  and  expression  will  be  helpful  for  the  cul- 
ture and  development  of  the  voice,  the  following  are 
specially  adapted  to  that  purpose,  and  will  be  found 
particularly  beneficial  for  correcting  the  worst  faults  in 
the  production  of  tone. 

The  suggestions  and  directions  here  given  are  as 
important  to  the  student  of  singing  as  to  the  student  of 
elocution,  and  the  exercises  which  follow  will  be  found 
as  valuable  to  the  one  as  to  the  other. 

A  short  practice  in  full,  deep  breathing  should  pre- 
cede each  vocal  exercise. 

Since  the  use  of  certain  terms  cannot  be  avoided  in 


VOICE    CULTURE.  63 

the  explanation  of  exercises  in  voice  culture,  it  becomes 
necessary  to  define  them  here. 

TIME  relates  to  duration.  Its  elements  are  Quantity, 
Movement,  and  Pause. 

QUANTITY  relates  to  the  duration  of  voice  upon  an 
element,  syllable,  or  word. 

MOVEMENT,  to  the  degree  of  rapidity  with  which  the 
words  are  uttered.  It  includes 

PAUSE,  which  refers  to  the  suspension  of  the  voice 
between  words,  sentences,  and  paragraphs. 

QUALITY  relates  to  kind  of  voice.  There  are  two 
kinds  :  Pure  and  impure. 

In  PURE  quality,  all  the  breath  emitted  in  the  pro- 
duction of  tone  is  vocalized. 

In  IMPURE  quality,  the  tone  is  more  or  less  mixed 
with  unvocalized  breath. 

Pure  quality  may  be  subdivided  into, 

1.  SIMPLE  PURE,  used  in  cheerful  conversation  and 
in  light  styles  of  reading  and  speaking  ;  and, 

2.  OROTUND,  a  full,  round,  and  resonant  tone  em- 
ployed in  expressing  grand  thoughts,  deep  feelings,  and 
holy  emotions, — such  as  sublimity,  courage,  veneration 
reverence,  and  awe. 

Impure  quality  comprises, 

1.  The   ASPIRATE   or   WHISPER,  in  which   there   is 
little  or  no  vocality.     It  is  used  to  denote  secrecy  and 
caution,  and  is  employed  in  horror  and  fear. 

2.  The  PECTORAL  or  "  CHEST  TONE,"  which  rever- 
berates in  the  larynx  and   trachea.     It  is  given  on  the 
lower  notes  of  the  voice,  and  is  employed  in  solemnity 
and  to  denote  the  supernatural.     Anger,  scorn,  and  de- 


64  VOICE   CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

spair,  in  their  milder  forms,  also  employ  this  kind  of 
voice.     And, 

3.  The  GUTTURAL  quality,  which  is  a  very  harsh 
and  throaty  tone.  It  is  most  significant  in  revenge,  and 
is  employed  in  intense  anger,  scorn,  and  rage. 

Various  combinations  of  the  above  are  employed  in 
'mixed  emotions,  and  are  frequently  designated  by  such 
names  as  aspirated  pectoral,  asp.  orotund,  asp.  guttural, 
pectoral  orotund,  etc.,  but  their  designation  is  generally 
more  perplexing  than  useful,  and  their  consideration 
should  be  relegated  to  the  larger  treatises  on  elocution. 

PITCH  relates  to  the  degree  of  elevation  or  depression 
of  the  voice. 

In  music,  it  refers  to  the  particular  place  in  the  scale 
on  which  tone  is  sounded. 

In  elocution,  it  relates  to  the  general  or  prevailing 
pitch  in  speech.  In  voice,  pitch  depends  upon  the 
number  of  vibrations  made  by  the  vocal  ligaments  in 
their  production  of  tone  ;  the  number,  in  a  given  time, 
increasing  with  the  pitch, — doubling  with  each  octave. 

An  OCTAVE  comprises  five  whole  and  two  half  tones, 
and  includes  seven  notes  known  by  the  syllables,  do,  re, 
mi,  fa,  sol,  la,  si,  and  the  repetition  of  the  first  (do), 
completing  the  octave. 

PRODUCTION  OF  TONE. 

PURE  TONE. — i.  Prolong  o  in  the  musical  voice  in 
as  soft  and  pure  a  tone  as  possible.  Commence  on  "  C," 
or  on  any  note  in  about  the  middle  pitch,  prolonging 
the  sound  with  the  same  degree  of  loudness  on  each 
note  within  an  easy  compass  of  the  voice,  and  at  the 
same  time  intently  listening  to  the  tone  produced,  that 


VOICE    CULTURE.  65 

you  may  detect  any  imperfection  in  its  quality.  This 
will  educate  the  ear  as  well  as  the  voice,  an  important 
matter,  as  that  organ  gives  us  the  highest  standard, 
and  at  the  same  time  is  the  only  practical  guide  as  to 
quality,  pitch,  and  movement.  In  this  exercise,  never 
force  the  voice  into  a  higher  or  lower  pitch  than  it  can 
easily  reach,  and  always  keep  the  tone  pure,  smooth, 
and  agreeable.  Whenever  the  voice  breaks  into  a 
rough,  aspirated,  throaty,  or  other  disagreeable  quality, 
stop  at  once  ;  then  let  go  the  muscles  of  the  throat, 
drop  the  jaw,  let  the  tongue  lie  flat  and  perfectly  re- 
laxed, take  a  comfortable  breath  and  begin  again. 

2.  In  a  pure  and  resonant  voice,  give  ah  on  the  same 
notes  as  in  the  above  exercise.  Let  each  tone  be  pre- 
ceded by  a  full  breath  taken  in  by  the  expansion  of  the 
abdominal  muscles.  Commence  gently,  gradually  in- 
crease the  sound  to  the  middle,  and  as  gradually  di- 
minish it  to  a  delicate  finish.  Remember  to  control 
the  voice  by  the  muscles  of  breathing,  and  not  with  the 
throat,  and  have  the  increase  and  diminish  of  the  tone 
equal. 

In  this  practice,  the  student  should  aim  to  get  a  large 
and  free  opening  of  the  throat.  To  do  so,  it  is  neces- 
sary that  the  tongue  be  relaxed,  and  trained  to  lie  flat 
in  the  lower  jaw.  One  of  the  best  means  to  accom- 
plish this  is  to  think  the  gape  while  intoning  the  vowel 
or  syllable,  and  at  the  same  time  be  conscious  of  a 
proper  relaxation  of  all  the  parts  about  the  throat. 

The  gape  depresses  the  base  of  the  tongue  and  ele- 
vates the  uvula  and  the  soft  palate,  thus  giving  the 
widest  passage  possible  from  the  mouth  to  fo$  pharynx 
— or  "back  mouth."  By  thinking  the  gape,  these  results 
will  be  obtained  to  a  sufficient  degree  without  the  ex- 
5 


66  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

treme  contraction  of  the  parts  necessary  for  the  actual 
gape — conditions  which  would  interfere  with  the  pro- 
duction of  pure  tone. 

Considerable  practice  may  be  required  before  the 
trick  of  "  making  the  tongue  lie  down  "  can  be  properly 
performed,  and  still  more  before  the  tongue  can  be 
taught  to  habitually  lie  down.  But  the  above  exercises, 
if  properly  and  faithfully  practiced,  will  best  aid  the 
student  of  music  and  of  elocution  in  the  attainment  of 
these  desirable  results. 

In  all  exercises  for  the  improvement  of  the  voice,  it 
should  be  the  aim  of  the  student  to  transfer  the  effort 
from  the  throat  to  the  waist — from  the  organs  of  vocal- 
ity  to  the  organs  of  breathing.^  If  possible,  let  him  for- 
get, at  times,  that  he  has  a  throat,  thinking  only  of  the 
correct  action  of  the  abdominal  muscles  and  of  the 
quality  of  the  tone  to  be  produced.  The  tone  should 
always  be  pure  and  resonant,  and  the  action  of  the 
waist-muscles  gentle  and  yet  firm,  gradually  increasing 
in  their  contraction  with  the  demand  for  increased  full- 
ness and  loudness. 

3.  Vary  the  foregoing  exercises  by  shoving  out  the 
voice  with  energy  on  the  first  part  of  the  sound,  and 
letting  it  gradually  diminish  to  a  close.  Observe  the 
same  conditions  as  to  breathing,  to  relaxing  the  mus- 
cles of  the  throat  and  tongue,  and  to  the  "  trick  "  of 
thinking  the  gape  (not  gaping),  as  in  the  preceding  ex- 
ercise. Then,  instead  of  "ah"  give  the  seven  monoph- 
thong vowel  sounds,  in  the  order  found  in  the  Table  of 
Elementary  Sounds.  Commence  on  middle  "C,"  as  in 
the  exercises  just  given,  and  run  to  the  "  C  "  above, 
giving  each  succeeding  vowel  on  a  higher  pitch,  thus  : 
e,  a,  a  (as  in  air),  ah,  aw,  o,  oo,  e.  A  repetition  of  "e" 


VOICE    CULTURE.  67 

is  necessary  to  complete  the  octave.  Then  run  from 
middle  "  C  "  down  to  "  G,"  as  e,  a,  a,  ah — and  return 
on  the  other  vowels  (aw,  o,  oo],  back  to  "  C." 

4.  From  "  C "  (or  from  any  note  about  the  middle 
pitch)  down,  chant  on  each  note  in  a  full  and  resonant 
voice,  and  with  as  distinct  an  articulation  as  possible, 
the  following  sentence  : 

HOW  HOLLOW  GROANS  THE  EARTH  BENEATH  MY 
TREAD ! 

The  following  is  also  a  good  sentence  for  similar 
practice : 

HOW    THE    WILD    WAVES    ROLL  ! 

5.  From  "  C  "  up,  chant  the  following  two  stanzas 
from  the  "  Psalm  of  Life,"  giving  the  lines  on  successive 
notes  in  a  very  distinct  and  recitative  manner : 

Tell  me  not,  in  mournful  numbers, 
Life  is  but  an  empty  dream  !  V 

For  the  soul  is  dead  that  slumbers, 
And  things  are  not  what  they  seem. 

Life  is  real  !     Life  is  earnest ! 

And  the  grave  is  not  its  goal  : 
"  Dust  thou  art,  to  dust  returnest," 
Was  not  spoken  of  the  soul. 

6.  Tennyson's  "  Bugle  Song  "  makes  an  interesting 
and  profitable  exercise  when  practiced  in  the  following 
manner : 

Give  the  first  four  lines  of  each  stanza  on  the  same 
notes  and  in  the  same  way  in  which  the  first  stanza  of 
the  "  Psalm  of  Life  "  was  given.  Use  only  these  words 
of  the  chorus — "  Blow,  bugle,  blow  !  " — giving  them  as 
follows  :  Blow  (G),  bu  (E)  -gle  (C),  blow  (G)— prolong^ 


68  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

ing  the  "  ow  "  on  the  slide  down  the  octave  to  "  G  " 
below,  and  then  back  to  "  C,"  in  one  continuous  sound 
and  breath. 

In  the  second  stanza,  the  first  few  words  should  be 
given  short  (staccato),  and  the  whole  in  a  more  or  less 
subdued  voice  : 

THE  BUGLE  SONG. 

I. 
The  splendor  falls  on  castle  walls 

And  snowy  summits  old  in  story  ; 
The  long  light  shakes  across  the  lakes, 
And  the  wild  cataract  leaps  in  glory. 
Blow,  bugle,  blow,  set  the  wild  echoes  flying, 
Blow,  bugle  ;  answer,  echoes,  dying,  dying,  dying. 

II. 

O  hark,  O  hear  !  how  thin  and  clear, 

And  thinner,  clearer,  farther  going  ! 
O  sweet  and  far  from  cliff  and  scar 

The  horns  of  Elf-land  faintly  blowing  ! 
Blow,  let  us  hear  the  purple  glens  replying  : 
Blow,  bugle  ;  answer,  echoes,  dying,  dying,  dying. 

III. 
O  love,  they  die  in  yon  rich  sky, 

They  faint  on  hill  or  field  or  river  : 
Our  echoes  roll  from  soul  to  soul, 
And  grow  forever  and  forever. 
Blow,  bugle,  blow,  set  the  wild  echoes  flying, 
And  answer,  echoes,  answer,  dying,  dying,  dying. 

7.  Exercises  in  the  "glottis  stroke"  will  be  found  the 
very  best  for  developing  clearness,  vivacity,  and  strength 
of  voice.  Though  the  term  "glottis  stroke  "  be  a  mis- 
nomer, it  is  understood  to  mean  that  strong  and  abrupt 
action  of  the  vocal  ligaments,  produced  by  the  quick 


VOICE    CULTURE.  69 

and  sudden  breaking  through  of  the  compressed  air- 
column.  It  is  this  that  gives  to  speaking  and  singing 
a  sprightliness  and  sparkle  that  is  best  appreciated  by 
contrasting  it  with  its  opposite — the  drawl.  Let  the 
vocal  exercises  in  the  "glottis  stroke"  be  preceded  by 
a  short  and  abrupt  whisper  of  the  syllable  "  hu  " — "#," 
as  in  "up."  This  breathing  exercise  is  called  "puffing 
the  breath."  Puff  the  syllable  hu  three  times,  then 
pause  and  replenish  the  lungs  ;  again,  three  times, 
pause  and  replenish  the  lungs,  and  so  continue.  If 
dizziness  ensues,  rest  awhile.  Practice  until  the  lungs 
can  be  replenished  in  the  shortest  possible  time. 

Then  vocalize  the  same  syllable  in  a  clear,  ringing, 
and  abrupt  tone,  with  the  least  expenditure  of  breath 
and  with  as  short  quantity  as  possible,  on  each  note  of 
the  octave  from  "  middle  C "  up,  and  then  down  to 
"  G  below," — giving  it  "three  times  three,"  as  follows  : 
(Breathe)  hu,  hu,  hu, — (breathe)  hu,  hu,  hu, — (breathe) 
hu,  hu,  hu — u — u — u, — prolonging  the  tone  on  the  last 
syllable  in  a  full  and  resonant  voice.  Other  syllables 
may  be  used  as  well  as  hu. 

8.  After  practicing  the  above  for  some  time,  the  fol- 
lowing is  a  good  variation. 

Instead  of  giving  the  last  syllable  in  the  repetition  in 
a  continuous  or  a  gradually  diminishing  tone,  give  it 
with  three  prolonged  impulses — that  is,  in  "the  swell/' 
using  the  syllable  ho,  (the  long  o  shortened},  instead  of 

hu,  thus  :  Ho,  ho,  ho  ;  ho,  ho,  ho  j  ho,  ho,  ho O 

o O o O o. 

It  may  be  found  necessary  to  take  a  short  breath 
just  before  the  last  syllable.  As  in  all  the  vocal  exer- 
cises, keep  the  throat  free,  and  control  the  voice  by  the 
action  of  the  diaphragm  and  the  abdominal  muscles. 


70  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

9.  "  Projecting  the  tone  "   is  an  exercise  that  will 
help  increase  the  penetrating  and  carrying  capacity  of 
the  voice.     It  may  be  practiced  as  follows  : 

In  giving  the  syllables  in  the  "glottis  stroke,"  as  in 
the  preceding  exercises,  aim  at  some  object  in  the  most 
distant  part  of  a  room  or  hall,  and  at  a  point  on  a  level 
with  the  head,  and  imagine  the  tone  being  sent  directly 
to  the  object  aimed  at,  being  sure  to  hit  the  mark  every 
time. 

10.  Calling  or 'hailing  to  some  one  at  a  distance  in 
the  open  air,  on  a  high  pitch  and  in  a  free  and  pure  tone, 
is  also  an  excellent  practice.     For  example,  give  the  fol- 
lowing "  nautical  hail "  in  as  high  a  pitch  and  with  as 
much  force  as  can  be  maintained  in  a  clear,  untram- 
meled  voice,  taking  a  good  breath  just  before  the  word 
ahoy,  and  holding  the  last  syllable  (hoy)  as  long  and  in 
as  pure  a  tone  as  possible,  thus  :  BOAT  AHO-O-O-O-O-O- 
o-o- 

o- 
o- 

OY- 
Y— — 

closing  with  an  octave  slide,  as  indicated. 

11.  For  the  development  of  flexibility  of  voice,  the 
exercise  given  below  will  be  found   one  of  the  best. 
Give  the  syllable  ah*m  a  full,  pure,  and  resonant  tone 
on  the  musical  scale,  running  the  voice  in  "  circles,"  as 
follows  : 

Commence  on  a  moderately  low  note — anywhere  from 
"middle  C  "  down  to  "G  " — and  slide  the  voice  up  to 
the  second  note  and  down  again,  and  up  and  down  sev- 
eral times,  in  a  continuous  tone.  Then  slide  to  the  third 


VOICE    CULTURE.  71 

note  up  and  around  in  the  same  way,  and  so  on  until 
the  eighth  note  in  the  octave  is  reached. 

A  good  variation  is  to  sing  the  whole  octave  with  one 
breath,  running  to  each  of  the  notes  up  and  down  once, 
in  a  continuous  tone,  until  the  eighth  note  is  reached, 
and  always  keeping  the  key-note  as  the  commencing 
and  ending  of  each  circle  or  double  slide. 

The  following  cut  will  assist  the  student  in  practicing 
the  foregoing  exercises.  The  added  notes  may  be 
taken  into  the  practice  when  the  vocal  compass  of  the 
student  will  permit  doing  so  with  safety. 


\ 


72  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

12.  A  good  opening  of  the  mouth,  flexibility  of  the 
tongue  and  lips,  and  the  correct  manipulation  of  all  the 
parts  necessary  for  the  formation  of  the  elements  of 
speech,  are  requirements  so  essential  that  their  lack  will 
forestall  the  progress  of  the  student,  however  favorable 
to  success  the  other  conditions  may  be. 

Good  Tongue  Exercises  are  the  following : 

First,  protrude  the  tongue,  endeavoring  to  touch  the 
chin  with  its  tip,  and  then  draw  it  well  back,  as  if  try- 
ing to  swallow  it. 

Next,  slowly  sweep  the  tip  of  the  tongue  (with  pres- 
sure) up  and  back,  over  the  roof  of  the  mouth  to  the 
"soft  palate."  Stretching  and  rolling  the  tongue  from 
side  to  side  is  also  a  good  tongue  practice. 

For  acquiring  control  of  the  "  unruly  member  "  in 
rapid  movement,  the  following  musical  exercise  will  be 
found  one  of  the  best. 

la    la  la    la  la  la 

la     la  la     la  la  la 


la  la     la  la  la 
la      la  la      la  la  la 

la      la  la      la  la  la 
la       la  la       la  la  la 

la  la       la  la  la 
'  la       la  la       la  la  la       etc. 


VOICE    CULTURE.  73 

Practice  as  follows  :  First,  sing  the  syllable  "la  "  very 
distinctly  and  with  great  precision  on  the  notes  of  the 
octave,  up  and  down  the  scale  in  moderate  time. 

Next,  give  the  syllable  twice  on  each  note  in   the 

same  time  as  it  was  given  once.     Then  three  times,  and 

so  on  to  six  or  seven  syllables  to  the  note,  or,  as  often 

and  as  fast  as  the  tongue  can  give  the  syllable  "la" 

separately  and  with  distinct  succession  in  a  given  time. 

Other  syllables  may  be  practiced  in  the  same  way. 

13.  The  first  essential  to  good  reading  and  speaking, 

is  to  be  heard  and  understood.  This  presumes  a  free  exit 

of  the  voice,  the  proper  formation  of  the  elements,  and 

a  correct  combination  of  them  into  syllables  and  words. 

The  vowel  exercise  given  in  the  triangle  below  is  an 

excellent  practice  for  the  manipulation  of  the  mouth 

and  lips.     It  is  better  than  any  artificial  means,  such  as 

the  prop  or  "  gag,"  to  get   a   good  opening   of  the 

mouth. 

With  a  little  exaggeration,  the  three  vocals  in  the  tri- 
angle are  made  to  represent  the  three  extreme  positions 
of  the  mouth  and  lips  ;  "  e"  with  the  corners  of  the 
mouth  drawn  well  back  (as  in  laughter);  "ah"  with 
the  mouth  thrown  wide  open  and  the  lips  drawn  over 
the  teeth  ;  and  "  oo"  with  the  lips  thrown  well  forward 
— protruded  as  much  as  possible.  Practice  as  follows  : 
e  Give  the  vowels  twice  in  each 

direction  and  in  the  different 
series,  thus  :  ist,  e,  ah,  oo,  e,  ah, 
oo  ;  e,  oo,  ah,  e,  oo,  ah.  2d,  ah,  e, 
oo,  ah,  e,  oo;  ah,  oo,  e,  ah,  oo,  e.  3d, 
,  /  \  oo,  e,  ah,  oo,  e.,  ah;  oo,  ah,  e,  oo,  ah,  e. 

Give  the  extreme  positions  of  the 
mouth  and  lips,  as  directed  above.     Practice  slowly  at 


74  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

first,  and  increase  the  rapidity  from  day  to  day  as  you 
increase  in  skill. 

For  a  rapid  manipulation  of  the  "buccal  "  apparatus, 
the  following  arrangement  of  vowels  will  be  found  ex- 
cellent. Repeat  the  elements  or  syllables  from  left  to 
right,  as  arranged  in  the  table  below,  with  accuracy 
and  precision.  Give  them  slowly  at  first,  then  more 
and  more  rapidly,  and  always  emphasizing  the  last 
vowel  in  each  line. 


e 

ah 

oo 

ah 

i 

e 

E 

e 

ah 

oo 

ah 

i 

e 

A 

e 

ah 

00 

ah 

i 

e 

A  [as  in  air\ 

e 

ah 

oo 

ah 

i 

e 

AH 

e 

ah 

oo 

ah 

i 

e 

AW 

e 

ah 

oo 

ah 

i 

e 

o 

e 

ah 

00 

ah 

i 

e 

oo 

14.  The  "/,"  "/"  and  "  k"  represent  very  important 
manipulations  of  the  tongue  and  lips. 

Give  the  syllables  as  arranged  in  the  second  triangle 
in  the  same  order  as  the  vowel  elements  in  the  preced- 
ing triangle.  Be  careful  to  get  the  percussive  force  or 
snap  that  belongs  to  these  aspirate  elements.  They 
should  be  given  with  the  utmost  force  without  the  waste 
of  breath.  A  good  test  is  to  hold  the  hand  at  arms- 
length  in  front  of  the  face,  and  then  give  these  elements 
with  the  required  force,  without  feeling  a  current  of 
air  strike  the  hand. 

After  a  little  practice,  drop  the 
short  vocal  "/,"  giving  the  aspi- 
rates alone.  From  time  to  time 
increase  the  rapidity  when  you 
can  do  so  with  the  same  degree 
of  accuracy  as  when  practicing 
them  more  slowly. 


VOICE    CULTURE. 


75 


The/,  /,  and  /£,  more  than  any  of  the  other  elements, 
are  the  vehicles  of  contempt  and  hate.  When  given 
with  great  force  and  precision  in  certain  words  that  fre- 
quently occur  in  impassioned  utterance,  they  become 
a  mighty  power  in  expression.  The  following  sen- 
tences, given  with  energy,  and  with  the  proper  emo- 
tions, may  serve  as  illustrations,  and  also  be  used  as 
examples  for  practice. 

1.  BACK  to  fay  punishment,  false  fugitive  ! 

2.  Go  from  my  sight !     I  HATE  and  DESPISE  thee  ! 

3.  Do  not  hate,  do  not  despise  !  But///y,  O  PITY  me  ! 

15.  The  following  makes  a  good  blackboard  exercise 
for  a  class.  The  vocals  are  arranged  in  their  phonetic 
order,  as  found  in  the  Chart  of  Elementary  Sounds, 
Table  I. 


The  "key  " 
to    the    vowel   markings 

will  be    found    in 
Table     VI.,      which 


-    U 


A 


A 

•  • 


76  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

Commence  with  "<?,"  pass  to  "0,"  and  so  on  down, 
and  around  to  the  starting-point. 

Practice  slowly  at  first,  then  with  greater  rapidity, 
but  with  the  same  degree  of  accuracy  and  distinctness 
on  each  element. 

The  long  vowels  should  be  practiced  first,  then  the 
corresponding  short  vowels  in  the  same  order.  Since 
"  e"  (as  in  fern)  has  no  corresponding  long  vocal,  it  is 
omitted  from  the  diagram  below. 

Proper  attention  should  be  given  to  the  position  of 
the  mouth  and  lips  in  each  of  the  vowel  elements.  As 
a  practice,  it  will  be  well  to  exaggerate  the  oral  open- 
ings and  positions  of  the  lips  for  each  of  the  vowels. 

In  e,  the  corners  of  the  mouth  should  be  drawn  well 
back,  and  the  teeth  separated  about  half  an  inch. 

In  a,  retain  the  same  position  of  the  lips,  and  sepa- 
rate the  teeth  to  about  three-quarters  of  an  inch. 

In  a,  the  same  as  in  the  preceding,  except  a  very 
slight  increase  in  the  separation  of  the  teeth. 

In  a,  the  mouth  is  thrown  wide  open,  and  the  lips 
drawn  well  back. 

In  a,  the  same,  with  the  lips  thrown  forward. 

In  6,  the  lips  are  thrown  further  forward,  and  the 
aperture  made  smaller. 

In  o,  the  lips  are  still  further  protruded,  and  the  la- 
bial opening  made  smaller  than  in  o. 

The  mouth  and  lips  are  about  the  same  in  the  short 
vocals  as  in  the  corresponding  long  vocals. 

There  are  changes  less  easily  described  that  take 
place  within  the  oral  cavity,  which  have  a  greater  or 
less  influence  in  the  formation  of  the  elements,  but 
since  their  consideration  hardly  comes  within  the 


VOICE    CULTURE.  77 

province  of  a  text-book,  the  attempt  at  an  explanation 
of  these  changes  is  properly  omitted. 

A  practical  knowledge  of  the  different  qualities  of 
tone  and  the  skill  of  modulating  the  voice  so  as  to  meet 
the  varied  requirements  in  the  expression  of  thought 
and  feeling,  is  an  art  that  cannot  be  successfully  im- 
parted by  means  of  type  and  cut  alone.  In  these  par- 
ticulars, the  text-book  must  be  supplemented  by  the  voice 
of  the  teacher  to  insure  the  best  results.  However,  the 
student  will  find  great  profit  in  the  faithful  practice  of 
the  foregoing  exercises,  which  comprise  a  portion  of 
the  system  of  voice  culture  used  by  the  author — a  sys- 
tem containing  the  best  results  of  a  long  experience  and 
careful  study. 


ARTICULATION. 

Raftered  by  firm-laid  consonants,  windowed  by  opening  vowels, 
Thou  securely  art  built,  free  to  the  sun  and  the  air. 

*********^ 
Not  by  corruption  rotted,  nor  slowly  by  ages  degraded, 
Have  the  sharp  consonants  gone  crumbling  away  from  our  words. 
Virgin  and  clear  is  their  edge,  like  granite  blocks  chiseled  by  Egypt ; 
Just  as  when  Shakespeare  and  Milton  laid  them  in  glorious  verse. 

—  W.  W.  Story. 

ARTICULATION  includes  exercises  upon  the  Ele- 
mentary Sounds,  separately  or  in  combination,  and 
embraces  analysis,  syllabication,  accent,  and  pronun- 
ciation. 

A  good  articulation  consists  in  giving  to  each  element 
its  due  amount  of  sound,  so  that  the  syllables  and  words 
will  "  drop  from  the  lips  like  newly-made  coin  from  the 
mint,  accurately  impressed,  perfectly  finished,  correct 
in  value  and  of  the  proper  weight."  The  exercises 
under  this  department  of  elocution  are  especially  in- 
tended for  the  development  and  culture  of  the  organs  of 
articulation.  There  is  no  better  or  surer  way  for  im- 
proving the  articulation,  than  that  of  exercising  the 
voice  and  articulatory  organs  on  the  elements  of 
speech  singly  and  in  their  easy  and  difficult  combina- 
tions. 

Next  to  a  good  voice,  a  distinct  and  correct  enun- 
ciation is  the  essential  qualification  in  a  reader  or 
speaker.  No  person,  however  eloquent,  can  be  fully 
appreciated  unless  he  is  distinctly  heard  and  well  under- 
stood. 


ARTICULATION.  79 

Although  the  exercises  in  articulation  may  seem  te- 
dious, no  student  of  velocution  can  afford  to  slight  them. 
Properly  and  persistently  practiced,  they  will  not  only 
correct  faults,  and  even  impediments,  in  speech,  but  will 
make  a  good  articulation  better,  and  a  better  excellent. 
Exercises  upon  the  elements  of  the  language,  in  analy- 
sis, in  the  formation  of  syllables,  and  in  pronunciation, 
may  be  called  the  "  dead-work  "  of  elocution,  but  it  is 
just  as  necessary  to  be  done  as  the  dead-work  in  mining, 
in  order  to  reach  the  golden  ore-vein  of  success  that 
lies  beneath.  No  other  department  of  elocution  so  fully 
verifies  the  oft-quoted  proverb,  that  there  is  no  excel- 
lence without  great  labor. 

An  exact  classification  of  the  elements  composing 
syllables  and  words  is  impossible.  The  formation  of 
the  elements  proceeds  in  a  more  or  less  regular  series 
from  the  most  open  vocal  sound  as  heard  in  ah  to 
the  closest  aspirates  or  mutes,  represented  by  /,  /, 
and  k. 

For  purposes  of  instruction  and  practice,  the  follow- 
ing classifications  are  sufficiently  accurate. 

The  first  division  of  the  elementary  sounds  of  the 
English  language  is  as  follows  : 

1.  VOCALS,  which  consist  of  pure  tone  j 

2.  SUB- VOCALS,  consisting  of  tone  and  breath  united  ; 

3.  ASPIRATES,  composed  of  breath  only. 

These  may  be  termed  the  three  links  in  the  Odd  Fel- 
lowship of  speech,  the  sub-vocals  uniting  the  two  ex- 
tremes, vocals  and  aspirates.  This  is  the  natural  di- 
vision of  the  elements,  and  is  common  to  all  Ian. 
guages. 

The  Vocals  are  subdivided  as  follows  : 


80  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

1.  Long  Monophthongs,  in  which  each  has  the  same 
sound  from  its  commencement  to  its  close ; 

2.  Diphthongs,  or    Double   Vowels,  formed,  as  the 
name  indicates,  by  the  combination  of  two  monoph- 
thongs ; 

3.  Short  vocals,   differing   from  the  monophthongs 
only  in  duration. 

The  sub-vocals  are  divided  into, 

1.  Correlatives,  because  each  terminates  with  a  light 
sound  of  its  cognate  aspirate  ; 

2.  Nasals,  so  called  from  the  sound  being  made  reso- 
nant in  the  nose  ; 

3.  Liquids,  because  of  their  flowing  sound,  are  spe- 
cially dependent  upon  the  tongue,  and  are  the  most  vocal 
of  the  consonants  ;  and, 

4.  Coalescents,  so  designated  from  the  perfect  man- 
ner of  their  combining  with  the  vowels  which  they  al- 
ways precede. 

The  Aspirates  are  naturally  brought  under  the  two 
significant  classes  of, 

1.  Explodents,  which  are  made  by  a  percussive  ac- 
tion of  the  breath  ;  and, 

2.  Continuants,  from  their  having  the  quality  of  con- 
tinuance or  prolongation. 

The  vocals  are  formative,  the  sub-vocals  and  aspirates 
articulative  elements.  The  formation  of  the  different 
vocals  depends  chiefly  upon  the  size  and  shape  of  the 
tube  through  which  the  tone  passes. 

Thus,  the  changes  in  the  mouth  parts  from  e  to  ah, 
and  ah  to  oo,  give,  successively,  the  long  monophthongs 
in  the  order  found  in  the  table  of  Elementary  Sounds. 


ARTICULATION.  8l 

The  sub-vocals  and  aspirates  are  made  by  different 
junctures  of  the  organs  of  articulation  which  obstruct 
or  modify  the  tone  and  breath. 

The  following  arrangement  of  the  elements  will  be 
found  the  most  convenient  for  practice,  whether  the  vo- 
cals be  given  singly,  or  in  combination  with  the  sub- 
vocals  and  the  aspirates  : 

ELEMENTARY   SOUNDS. 
TABLE  I. 

VOCALS. 

Long  Monophthongs. — 

1.  e,      as  in  eve,  each,  e'en,  brief,  seem. 

2.  a,         "     age,  ate,  make,  wave,  play. 
3. "a,         u     air,  dare,  wear,  lair,  stare. 

4.  a,  "  arm,  palm,  far,  father,  half. 

5.  aw,  "  awl,  law,  ball,  straw,  fall. 

6.  o,  "  ore,  own,  home,  mold,  no. 

7.  oo,  "  ooze,  whom,  root,  woo,  soon. 

Diphthongs. — 

8.  i,          as  in  ire,  file,  time,  life,  shine. 

9.  oi  (oy),     "     oil,  oyster,  toil,  boy,  voice. 

10.  ou  (ow),  "     our,  owl,  flour,  mouse,  out. 

11.  u,  "     (y)use,  assume,  flue,  lute,  Tuesday. 

Short  Vocals. — 

12.  i,  as  in  it,  bin,  fix,  miff,  quick. 

13.  e,  "  ebb,  met,  peck,  left,  fed. 

14.  e,  "  earth,  earn,  were,  fern,  herd. 

15.  a,  "  at,  rap,  cab,  lad,  back. 

1 6.  a,  "  ask,  pass,  fast,  dance,  grass. 

17.  O,  "  odd,  job,  yonder,  rock,  cross. 

1 8.  u,  "  up,  rough,  sum,  muff,  hut. 

19.  oo,  "  hoop,  wolf,  shook,  hood,  foot. 

6 


82  VOICE   CULTURE    AND   ELOCUTION. 

SUB-VOCALS. 

Correlatives. — 

20.  b,         as  in  barb,  curb,  bulb,  web,  sob. 

21.  d,  "  deed,  dude,  made,  goad,  bade. 

22.  g,  "  gag,  rug,  lag,  give,  gage. 

23.  j  (dzh),   "  judge,  jet,  jam,  cage,  siege. 

24.  v,  "  valve,  vim,  vale,  live,  wave. 

25.  th,  "  thither,  thine,  breathe,  scythe. 

26.  z,  "  zone,  zigzag,  whizz,  maze,  size. 

27.  zh,          "  azure,  treasure,  leisure,  vision,  usual 

Nasals.  — 

28.  m,  as  in  maim,  me,  come,  room,  home. 

29.  n,  "     nine,  now,  never,  lane,  on. 

30.  ng,  "     ring,  bang,  ding-dong,  tongue. 

Liquids. — 

31.  1,  as  in  lull,  shall,  lily,  toll,  bell. 

32.  r  (rough),    "     run,  roll,  drum,  trill,  roar. 

33.  r  (smooth),  "     war,  car,  clear,  fair,  were. 

Coalescents,  — 

34.  w,        as  in  we,  wire,  wait,  was,  won. 

35.  y,  "     yew,  yawl,  your,  yellow,  yes. 

ASPIRATES. 

Explo  dents. — 

36.  p,         as  in  peep,  putty,  spite,  spurn,  stop. 

37.  t,  "     tight,  hat,  teeth,  hate,  tear. 

38.  k,  "     kick,  whack,  kite,  luck,  wreck. 

39.  ch  (tsh),  "     church,  charm,  fetch,  touch,  wretch 

Continuants. — 

40.  f,          as  in  fife,  cough,  staff,  leaf,  life. 

41.  th,          "     thick,  thumb,  thirst,  mouth,  breath. 

42.  s,  "     sense,  pass,  miss,  seem,  hiss. 

43.  sh,          "     shame,  pshaw,  lash,  J)ush,  hush. 


ARTICULATION.  83 

44.  h,  as  in  hence,  hie,  ho,  howl,  here. 

45.  wh   (hw),  "     which,  why,  when,  where. 

The  Diphthongs  are  each  formed  by  the  union  of  a 
short  and  long  monophthong  element  as  follows  : 

8.  (i),       by  the  union  of  16  and  i. 

9.  (oi),          "          "  17    "     i. 

10.  (ou),         "          "  16    "     7. 

11.  (u),  "          "  12    "     7- 

It  will  be  noticed  that  the  first  element  in  each  com- 
bination is  abrupt  and  short,  and  that  the  last  is  long 
and  obscure. 

COMBINATIONS   OF    THE   ELEMENTS. 
In  the  practice  of  Tables  II.  and  IV.,  following, — 

1.  Prolong   the   long  monophthongs  and  the  diph- 
thong vocals  in  the  combinations,  in  a/W/,  smooth,  and 
musical  voice, — first  in  the  "  monotone  "  and  then  in  the 
"swell,"   and   each    in   three    degrees   of    pitch — the 
middle,  high,  and  low.     Practice  first  down  the  columns 
and  then  across. 

The  prolongation  of  the  vowel  in  the  monotone  may 
be  indicated  thus  :  Be-e-e-e-e,  ba-a-a-a-a,  etc.  ;  and  in 
the  swell  thus  : 

Be — E—  e,  ba — A — a,  etc. 

The  short  vocal  combinations  must  be  given  in  the 
speaking  voice,  with  a  clear  and  percussive  action  on 
the  vocal  elements. 

2.  Give  the  same  combinations  of  the  long  vocals 
with  the  sub-vocals  in  the  speaking  voice  in  a  full,  re- 
sonant, and  affirmative  tone — running  the  voice  down 
to  the  lowest  note  of   its  compass.      Pronounce   the 
syllables  in  a  free  and  natural  manner,  such  as  would 


84  VOICE   CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

be  used  in  an  earnest  but  dignified  reply  to  an  un- 
welcome question. 

3.  Then  give  the  syllables  alternately  in  the  rising 
and  falling  slides,  as  in  asking  and  answering  a  ques- 
tion, in  a  very  earnest  manner,  letting  the  voice  slide 
from  nearly  the  lowest  to  the  highest  pitch  of  its  com- 
pass in  the  question,  and  from  nearly  the  highest  to  the 
lowest  in  the  answer.     In  order  to  be  sure  of  the  right 
inflection,  it  may  be  necessary  for  some  to  give  the 
syllables  first  in  connection  with  such  words  as  "  did 
you  say  "  and  "  no,  I  said,"  thus  :  Did  you  say  BE  ?    No, 
I  said  BA. 

After  sufficient  practice,  drop  the  "  Did  you  say, " 
and  "Yes,  I  said,"  giving  the  syllables  above  in  the 
same  manner  as  when  using  the  words. 

The  exercise  may  be  varied  by  giving  both  inflec- 
tions continuously  on  the  same  syllable. 

4.  An  excellent  practice  involving  many  of  the  ele- 
ments of  vocal  expression,  such  as  pitch,  force,  stress, 
climax,  transition,  inflection,  etc. ,  is  the  following  : 

Commence  on  a  low  pitch  and  in  subdued  force,  and 
give  each  syllable  with  the  falling  slide,  increasing  the 
pitch  and  force  to  "boo,"  and  hold  this  on  the  slide 
into  a  low  pitch  ;  then,  after  a  marked  pause,  give  the 
last  four  combinations  in  the  monotone,  in  long  quan- 
tity, in  a  lower  pitch  and  on  the  descending  scale, 
making  the  cadence-slide  on  the  syllable  "bu,"  thus  : 

boo 
bo 
baw 

ba  bi 

ba  boi 

ba  bow 

be  bu 


ARTICULATION.  85 

The  interest  and  profit  of  the  above  exercise  may  be 
much  enhanced  by  giving  the  syllables  forming  the 
climax  series  with  increasing  earnestness  and  rapidity 
and  then  adding  an  expression  of  solemnity  to  the 
syllables  given  in  the  monotone. 

5.  In  combining  the  sub-vocals  and  aspirates  with  the 
short  vocals,  give  the  latter  with  percussive  force  in  a 
clear  and  ringing  sound. 

In  the  practice  of  Tables  III.  and  V.  bring  out  the 
sub-vocals  and  aspirates  very  distinctly. 

A  good  practice,  but  a  difficult  exercise,  is  to  give 
the  sub-vocals,  in  the  combinations,  with  both  the  rising 
and  the  falling  slides. 

All  the  tables  of  combinations  should  be  practiced 
until  thoroughly  mastered. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  the  least  expenditure  of 
breath  necessary  to  produce  the  required  energy  and 
loudness  always  gives  the  best  results.  This  is  par- 
ticularly true  in  the  short  vocal  combinations.  Waste 
of  breath  renders  the  tone  impure. 


86  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 


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ARTICULATION. 


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ARTICULATION. 


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90  VOICE   CULTURE    AND   ELOCUTION. 

DIFFICULT   COMBINATIONS. 

The  following  comprise  the  greater  part  of  the  more 
difficult  combinations  of  elements  occurring  in  the  Eng- 
lish language. 

The  "  faced  letters  "  represent  the  combinations,  and 
should  be  practiced  as  follows  :  Give  each  element  with 
special  distinctness  three  times,  separately  in  succession 
three  times,  and  then  in  combination  three  times. 

Then  pronounce  each  word  in  the  line  three  times, 
giving  prominence  to  the  elements  of  the  difficult  com- 
bination. The  words  may  be  given,  first  in  the  mono- 
tone, then  with  the  falling  slide. 

The  italicized  words  in  the  sentences  should  be  given 
very  distinctly,  but  not  necessarily  with  greater  loud- 
ness.  The  italics  are  not  used  in  this  exercise  to  denote 
emphasis,  but  to  call  attention  to  the  words  containing 
the  difficult  combinations. 

In  the  analysis  of  the  consonant  combinations,  the 
pupil  should  be  particular  to  notice  the  exact  juncture 
of  the  organs  producing  the  several  elements  ;  and,  in 
passing  from  one  to  the  other  in  their  union,  he  should 
endeavor  to  join  them  as  closely,  smoothly,  and  accu- 
rately as  possible. 

No  exercise  in  articulation  is  more  profitable  than  this 
if  properly  and  faithfully  practiced. 

bd. — orb'd,  sobb'd,  ebb'd,  prob'd. 

The  child  moaned  and  sobbed  itself  to  a 
gentle  sleep. 
bdst. — prob'dst,  stabb'dst,  fib'dst,  snubb'dst, 

Thou   snubb'dst  and   stabb'dst  him   to   the  * 
quick. 


ARTICULATION.  91 

blz. —  pebbles,  gabbles,  roubles,  stubbles. 

His  troubles  followed  fast  in  the  footsteps 
of  his  foibles. 
51st. — humbl'st,  nibbl'st,  babbl'st,  troubl'st. 

Hence  !  thou  troubl'st  me  with  vain  requests. 
bid. — disabl'd,  trembl'd,  doubl'd,  dissembl'd. 

'Tis  but  the  fabld  landscape  of  a  lay. 
bldst. — stumbl'dst,  disabl'dst,  nibbl'dst,  gabbl'dst. 

Trembfdst  thou  at  what  was  but  the  shadow 
of  a  ghost  ? 
br. — breeze,  brought,  bridge,  breath,  bride. 

Break,  break,  break, 
At  the  foot  of  thy  crags,  O  Sea  ! 
bz. — robs,  webs,  fibs,  rubs,  robes,  sobs. 

Beneath  the  cypress  boughs  the  wind  sobs  a 
sad  requiem  o'er  his  grave. 
bst. — rob'st,  snubb'st,  bobb'st,  fibb'st. 

ProVst  thou  the  wound  of  a  broken  heart  ? 
did.— saddl'd,  coddl'd,  riddl'd,  muddl'd. 

A  single  look,  his -smoldering  hate  kindVd 
to  a  rage. 
didst, — addl'dst,  peddl'dst,  fiddl'dst,  waddl'dst. 

Thou  fondl'dst  the  viper  which  stings  thee 
to  death. 
dlz. — bundles,  handles,  trundles,  meddles. 

What  a  great  fire  a  little  blaze  kindles. 
dlst— saddl'st,  peddl'st,  fiddl'st,  kindl'st. 

Bird  of  the  sun,  in  thy  upward  flight  thou 
dwindl'st  to  a  speck. 
dnd. — sadd'n'd,  wid'n'd,  broad'n'd,  madd'n'd. 

Madd'rid  with  drink,  he  did  a  deed  a  life  of 
love  could  not  undo. 


92  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

dnz. — burd'ns,  hard'ns,  sadd'ns,  ward'ns,  madd'ns. 
Bear  ye  one  another's  burd'ns. 

dr. — dread,  dream,  drink,  drawl,  meand'ring. 

Hear  ye  the  deep  dreadful  thunder,  peal  on 
peal,  afar  ! 

dst.— didst,  hadst,  mad'st,  add'st,  couldst. 

When    thou    didst    hate    him   worst,   thou 

lovdst  him  better 
Than  ever  thou  lov'dst  Cassius. 

dth. — breadth,  width. 

The  width  or  breadth  equals  the  length. 
dths. — widths,  breadths. 

Three  'widths  of  one  made  four  breadths  of 
the  other. 

dz. — adz,  buds,  wads,  leads,  loads. 

Buds,  birds,  fields,  and  woods,  are  country 
charms  that  cheer  the  heart. 

dzh. — wedge,  badge,  judge,  pledge,  fudge. 

"  Pledge   with,   wine — -pledge    with  wine  !  " 
cried  the  thoughtless  Harvey  Wood. 

dzhd. — pledg'd,  forg'd,  manag'd,  smudg'd,  gaug'd. 

Evil  habits  forg'd  the  fetters  he  could  never 
break. 

fld.— rifl'd,  baffl'd,  shuffl'd,  sniffl'd,  waffl'd. 

The  muffl'd  drum  told  the  time  had  come 
For  the  hero  to  lay  down  his  life. 

fldst.—  stifl'dst,  baffl'dst,  ruffl'dst,  trifl'dst. 

Thou  baffl'dst  in  vain;  the  cause  we'll  main- 
tain, 
For  our  country,  for  truth  and  for  God. 


ARTICULATION.  93 

flz. — raffl's,  muffl's,  waffl's,  truffl's,  whiffl's. 
Trifl's  trouble  more  than  double 
What  we  greater  griefs  can  bear.  • 

flst— trifl'st,  baffl'st,  shuffl'st,  ruffl'st. 

If  thou  stifi'st  thy  conscience,  the  whip  of 
remorse  will  lash  thee  back  to  obedience. 
fn. — soft'n,  stiff'n,  rough'n,  oft'n. 

Kind  words  will  oft'n  pluck  the  barb  from 
envy's  arrow,  and  soft'n  the  obdurate  heart. 
fnd. — deaf  n'd,  stiff'n'd,  soft'n'd,  rough'n'd. 

The  loud  winds  soft'n'd  to  a  whisper  low. 

fnz. — soft'ns,  deaf ns,  stiffns,  rough'ns. 

Prosperity  deafns  the  ear  to  pity's  call. 

fr. — free,  fright,  from,  freckle,  fresh. 

Francis  French  was  too  much  frightened  to 
offer  assistance. 

fst. — scoff  st,  puff  st,  miff  st,  cough'st,  stuff  st. 

Laugh 'st  thou,  Lochiel,  my  vision  to  scorn  ? 

fths. — fifths,  twelfths.      Two-fifths  and  three-twelfths 
make  thirty-nine  sixtieths. 

fts. — lifts,-  wafts,  shifts,  crafts,  tufts. 

Death  lifts  the  veil  that  hides   a  brighter 
sphere. 

ftst.— lift'st,  waft'st.      O'er  the   desert   drear  thou 
waft'st  thy  waste  perfume. 

gd.— rigg'd,  leagu'd,  begg'd,  flogg'd. 

The  little  ant  lugg' d  and  tugg'd  its  tiny  load 
o'er  many  a  straw  and  stone. 

gdst— fagg'dst,  flogg'dst,  begg'dst,  lugg'dst. 

Laggard,  why  lugg'dst  thou  thy  load,  and 
why  lagg'dst  thou  behind  ? 


94  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

gl. — gleam,  glide,  eagle,  glove,  bugle. 

'Midst  the  glisten  and  glamour  of  glory 
Rejoice  if  thou  humble  canst  keep. 

gld. — juggl'd,  haggl'd,  struggl'd. 

He  was  inveigl'd  into  a  trap  baited  with  a 
bribe. 

gldst. — mingl'dst,  strangl'dst,  singl'dst. 

Why  smuggl '  dst  thou  that  which  was  thy 
bane  ? 

glz.— eagl's,  struggl's,  haggl's,  juggl's. 

At   the   bugl's   shrill  blast  the  eagl's  took 
flight. 

gist. — struggl'st,  haggl'st,  mingl'st. 

Thou  haggl'st  over  a  penny  as  if  it  were  a 
pound. 

gr.— great,  grow,  growl,  grizzly,  grub. 

The    Grey   Riesling   is  a  grape  grown  for 
wine. 

gz.— gigs,  flogs,  dregs,  bugs,  logs. 

In  rags  he  tugs  and  lugs  the  bags,  nor  lags 
till  he  has  filled  the  brig's  hold. 

gst—  wagg'st,  begg'st,  digg'st,  flogg'st. 

Thou  begg'st  in   vain ;  no    pity    melts    his 
heart. 

kid. — circl'd,  twinkl'd,  buckl'd,  sparkl'd. 

He  buckl'd  them  fast  to  his  shoulder  and 
hip. 

kldst. — twinkl'dst,  sparkl'dst,  sprinkl'dst. 

Thou  shackldst  the  arm  that  would  strike 
the  blow  for  freedom. 


ARTICULATION.  95 

klz. — knuckl's,  circl's,  sparkl's,  truckl's. 

The  eye  twinkl's  the  joy  that  thrills  the  soul, 
and  it  flashes  the  hate  that  holds  the  heart  in 
thrall. 
klst. — buckl'st,  freckl'st,  encircl'st. 

Thou  tackVst  more  than  thy  match  when 
thou  //V/£/'j-/ me. 
knd. — black'n'd,  wak'n'd,  dark'n'd. 

He  awak'rid  from  a  delusive   dream  that 
drove  him  to  despair, 
kndst.— heark'n'dst,  lik'n'dst,  black'n'dst. 

Thou  beck'ridst  me  the  way  I  should  go. 
knz. — dark'ns,  thick'ns,  falc'ns,  tok'ns. 

He  left  me  tok'ns  of  lasting  friendship. 
knst. — wak'n'st,  heark'n'st,  beck'n'st. 

Thou  awafcrist  within  me  a  warmer  sym- 
pathy. 
kr. — chromo,  chronicle,  crank,  crisp. 

Why  crouch   and   crawl  like  a  crafty  ser- 
pent ? 
kst. — shak'st,  look'st,  wak'st,  next. 

And  many  a  holy  text  around  she  strews. 
kt. — sect,  walk'd,  rock'd,  work'd. 

He  track V  the  game  to  the  cavern  lair, 
But  lack'd  the  courage  to  enter  there. 
kts. — respects,  acts,  sects,  subjects,  facts. 

It  gilds  all  objects,  but  it  alters  none. 
ktst. — work'dst,  thank'dst,  lik'dst,  act'st,  mock'dst. 

Thou    act'st   the   manly   part    when    thou 
mock'dst  not  at  facts. 

Ibz. — Albs,    bulbs.     The  gladiolus   bulbs   root  and 
bloom  with  the  warmth  of  early  spring. 


96  VOICE   CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

Idz. — wilds,  folds,  fields,  builds,  molds. 

The  rising  sun  gilds  the  mountain  tops. 
Idst— wield'st,  fill'dst,  hold'st,  shield'st,  told'st. 

Wield 'st  thou  thy  sword  for  liberty  ? 
Ifs. — sylphs,  elfs,  gulfs,  Guelphs,  delphs. 

The  sylph's  cavern  and  the  wolfs  cave  are 
side  by  side. 
1ft. — engulf  d,  ingulf  d.    The  fated  ship  is  engulf  d 

by  the  angry  waves. 
Ifth.— twelfth,    twelfths.      Twelve     twelfths  and    a 

twelfth  equal  one  and  one  twelfth. 
Idzh'd.— bilg'd,  indulg'd,  bulg'd. 

He  indulg'd  his  wit  and  lost  his  friend. 
Iks. — silks,  elks,  whelks,  bilks. 

He  was  whipped  till  whelks  rose  criss-crossed 
upon  his  ebony  back. 

Ikst. — sulk'st,    milk'st.      Thou   milk'st  the   kine   at 
early  dawn. 

Ikts. — mulcts.     The  hard  hand  of  fate  mulcts  us  of 

many  a  heart's  idol. 
1m. — elm,  film,  helm,  realm. 

Up  with  the  helm,  and  pull  for  your  lives. 
Imd. — whelm'd,  film'd.     He  overwhelmed  me  with  his 

kindness. 
Imz. — films,  elms,  realms,  overwhelms. 

He  sought  for  rest  in  realms  beyond  the 

skies. 
Imst.— overwhelm'st,  filtn'st.    Thou  overwhelm 'st  them 

with  the  whirlwind. 
Ips. — Alps,  pulps,  whelps,  helps. 

The  fearless,  faithful  guide  helps  the  trav- 
eler up  the  Alps. 


ARTICULATION.  97 

/ 

Ipst. — scalp'st,  help'st. 

Thou  help'st  me  now  in  vain. 
Iptst. — help'dst,  scalp'dst. 

Thou  scalp 'dst  the  scalper  of  his  ill-gotten 
gains. 
1st. — fill'st,  rul'st,  fall'st,  dwell'st. 

Thou  fill'st  existence  with  thyself  alone. 
It. — wilt,  dwelt,  moult,  guilt. 

We  try  this  quarrel  hilt  to  hilt. 
1th.— stealth,  filth,  wealth. 

Wealth  does  not  always  bring  happiness  and 
health. 
Iths.— tilths,  healths. 

He   drank    our    healths    from    the   crystal 
spring. 
Its. — halts,  melts,  faults,  bolts. 

A  friendly  eye  could  never  see  such/au/ts. 
Itst.— bolt'st,  melt'st,  halt'st,  stilt'st. 

Thou  melt'st  with  pity  at  another's  woes. 
Ivd. — involv'd,  shelv'd,  resolv'd. 

He  resold d  to  live  a  life  that  would  not 
shame  his  friends. 
Ivst.— dissolv'st,  involv'st,  solv'st. 

Thou  involv'st  the  firm,  and  then  dissolv'st 
the  partnership. 
Ivz. — elves,  wolves,  valves,  shelves. 

Man  resolves  and  re-resolves,  then  dies  the 
same. 
lz. — pulls,  steals,  palls,  tolls,  calls. 

Old  age  steals  upon  us  unawares. 
mdst. — flam'dst,  bloom'dst,  illum'dst,  nam'dst. 

Thou  doomd'st  thy  lover  to  a  life  of  misery. 
7 


98  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

mfs. — lymphs,  triumphs,  nymphs. 

The  nymphs  in  triumph  dance  in  festive  glee. 
mps. — dumps,  damps,  lamps,  bumps,  limps. 

He  stamps  his  mind  upon  the  lettered  page. 
mpst. — Hmp'st,  thump'st,  stamp'st. 

Thou  damp'st  their  zeal  and  stamp'st  defeat 
upon  their  cause. 
mz. — seems,  psalms,  gems,  comes,  tomes. 

Seems,  madam  !  nay  'tis  ;  I  know  not  seems. 
mst. — dream'st,  tam'st,  seem'st,  doom'st. 

Thou  seem'st  to  be  an  angel  of  light, 

mtst. — tempt'st,  prompt'st,  stamp'd'st. 

Thou  prompt'st  the  warrior  to  a  deed  of 
fame. 

x  ndz. — bonds,  blends,  sands,  finds,  bounds. 
Fate  binds  him  with  iron  bands. 

ndst. — send'st,  ground'st,  moan'd'st. 

Thou  found 'st  me  an  enemy,  thou  leavest 
me  a  friend, 
ng.— singing,  longing,  swinging,  ringing. 

Ding-dong  dell !  exulting^  trembling  swell  the 
bells. 
ngdst. — wing'dst,  hang'dst,  twang'dst,  wrong'dst. 

Thou  wrong'dst  me  to  think  I  had  aught 
against  thee. 

ngz. — sings,  songs,  wings,  lungs,  fangs. 

The  Angel  of  Peace  scatters  blessings  from 
her  dewy  wings. 

ngst. — hang'st,  long'st,  bring'st,  bang'st. 

Thou  bring'st  me  good  tidings  from  over 
the  sea. 


ARTICULATION.  99 

ngths.—  lengths,  strengths. 

Short  views  we  take,  nor  see  the  lengths 

behind. 
ngks. — links,  franks,  sinks,  danks,  bunks. 

My  father  !  met/links  I  see  my  father. 
ngkst. — think'st,  thank'st,  wink'st. 

Oh,  deeper  than  thou  think 'sf,  I  have  read 
thy  heart. 
ngkts,—  adjuncts,  precincts. 

He  left  the  warm  predncis  of  the  cheerful 

day. 
ndzh.— plunge,  hinge,  flange,  range. 

Possessions  vanish  and  opinions  change. 
ndzhd.-plung'd,  chang'd,  reveng'd,  fring'd. 

If  you  would  be  reveng'd  on  your  enemies, 
let  your  life  be  blameless. 
,  ns. — dance,  bounce,  mince,  tense,  lance. 

In  search  of   wit^   some  lose  all   common 
sense. 
nst. — against,  canst,  fenc'd,  winc'd. 

Thou  canst  not  ?  and  a  king  I 
ntsht. — blanch'd,  lunch'd,  trench'd,  stanch'd. 

He  wrenched  the  chain,  tho'  all  in  vain, 
For  the  firm  links  held  him  fast. 
nt. — plant,  tent,  fount,  blunt 

He  went  to  the  mint  to  see  money  made,  not 
spent. 
nths. — months,  tenths,  hyacinths,  plinths. 

Hyacinths  bloom  in  the  months  of  spring. 

nts. — plants,  flints,  tents. 

Man  wants  but  little  here  below,  nor  wants 
that  little  long. 


*00  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

ntst. — hunt'st,  taunt'st. 

Hunt'st  thou  the  wild  gazelle  ? 
nz. — plains,  moons,  moans,  lens,  vanes. 

Though  slow  of  reward,  merit  wins  in  the 
end. 
pld. — tramp'ld,  tippl'd,  toppPd,  dappl'd. 

The  dimpled  cheek  of  the  child  wore  an 
angel's  smile. 
pldst. — rippl'dst,  peopl'dst,  rumpl'dst. 

Thou  trampl'dst  the  worm  that  harmed  thee 
not. 
plz. — mapl's,  appl's,  toppl's,  stippl's,  stapl's. 

Age  on  their  temples  shed  her  silver  frost. 
plst. — trampl'st,  rippFst,  sampl'st,  toppl'st,  tippl'st. 

Thou  samprst  the  tap,  and  then  toppl'st  to 
thy  miserable  home. 
pnd. — rip'n'd,  op'n'd,  deep'n'd,  happ'n'd,  sharp'n'd. 

The  golden  ripples  of  the  rip'n'd  grain  make 
glad  the  heart  of  the  peasant. 
pnz. — op'ns,  happ'ns,  rip'ns,  cheap'ns. 

The  combat  deep'ns — on,  ye  brave  ! 
pr. — pride,  proper,  prune,  print,  prey. 

Prompt  to   relieve,  the  prisoner  sings  his 
praise. 
pS. — tips,  tops,  props,  tapes,  mops. 

Thought  droops  and  stops  as  the  eyes  grow 
heavy  with  sleep. 
pst. — top'st,  prop'st,  heap'st,  shap'st,  hoop'st. 

Thou  slapp'st  the  child  thou  shouldst  have 
kissed. 
pt. — wept,  slipp'd,  supp'd,  stopp'd. 

The  little  one  wept  itself  to  sleep. 


ARTICULATION.  IOI 

pts. — intercepts,  accepts,  precepts. 

The  father 's  precepts  the  dutiful  son  obeyed. 
ptst. — hop'd'st,  accept'st,  intercept'st. 

Accept 'st  thou  the  commission  offered  thee  ? 
pths.— depths. 

From  the  depths  of  despair,  the  sorrowing 
soul  is  lifted  on  the  wings  of  love. 
rb. — herb,  verb,  orb,  curb,  garb. 

Curb  thy  tongue,  for  its  barVd  words  stick 
where  they  strike. 
rbd. — orb'd,  curb'd,  garb'd,  disturb'd. 

No  reveille  disturbed  his  slumbers  ;  for  he 
slept  the  sleep  of  death. 
rbdst. — barb'dst,  orb'dst,  curb'dst,  disturb'dst. 

Thou  curb'dst  well  the  gallant  steed  thou 
strod'st. 
rbz. — barbs,  verbs,  orbs,  disturbs. 

The  orbs  of  night  in  the  winter's  sky  shine 
clear  and  bright. 
rbst. — absorb'st,  barb'st,  curb'st,  disturb'st. 

Thou  absorb 'st  our  precious  time  by  trivial 
talk. 
rdz. — words,  birds,  cards,  chords,  herds. 

The  silver   cords  of   friendship  may   unite 
many  hearts  which  the  golden  cords  of  love 
dare  not  entwine. 
rdst. — reward'st,  herd'st,  guard'st. 

Thou  regard 'st  whom  thou  reward'st. 
rfs. — serfs,  dwarfs,  turfs,  scarfs. 

Dwarfs  and  pygmies  shall  to  giants  rise. 
rgz. — bergs,  icebergs,  burgs. 

The  icebergs  float  from  the  Arctic  seas. 


102  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

rdzh. — surge,  forge,  enlarge,  gorge,  emerge. 

From  out  the  gorge  sweeps  the  wild  torrent 
to  the  verge  of  the  precipice. 

rdzhd.— urg'd,  charg'd,  merg'd,  forg'd. 

So  they  beat  against  the  State  House, 
So  they  surged  against  the  door. 

rks. — barks,  corks,  works,  larks,  storks. 

He  marks  the  tracks  of  the  wounded  by  the 
crimson  trails  in  the  snow. 

rkst. — mark'st,  work'st,  bark'st,  cork'st. 

Mark'st  thou  the  spot  where  the  hero  died  ? 

rkt. — work'd,  mark'd,  lurk'd,  fork'd,  jerk'd. 

He  work'd  his  way  to  the  topmost  round  of 
the  ladder  of  fame. 

rktst. — bark'dst,  work'dst,  fork'dst,  lurk'dst. 

Thou  lurk'dst  round  our  haunts  like  a  mer- 
cenary spy. 

rid. — curl'd,  snaiTd,  whirl'd,  furl'd,  world. 

Round  the  chieftain's  head  the  war-cloud 
curl'd. 
rldst. — hurl'dst,  snarl'dst,  furl'dst,  whirl'dst. 

Thou  furl'dst  thy   sails   in  the  harbor    of 
bliss. 

rldz. — worlds.      Worlds  unseen,  the  eye  of  faith  ex- 
plores, 
rlz. — hurls,  pearls,  snarls,  twirls,  churls. 

The  glittering  pearls  of  the  sea  are  not  to 
be   compared    with    the    priceless  pearls   of 
thought. 
rmd. — arm'd,  charm'd,  form'd,  harm'd. 

d)  say  you  ?  "     "  Arm'd,  my  lord." 


ARTICULATION.  103 

rmdst. — form'dst,  storm'dst,  charm'dst,  worm'dst. 

Thou    charm'dst   the    maid  whose    ear  was 
not  proof  against  flattery's  wiles. 

rmz. — charms,  forms,  storms,  terms. 

Truth  storms  the  citadel  of  falsehood,  and 
accepts  no  terms  but  unconditional  surrender. 

rmst. — form'st,  charm'st,  storm'st,  alarm'st. 

Thou  charm'st  me  with  thy  silver-tongued 
speech. 

rmth. — warmth. 

What  warmth  of   feeling   is    in  thy  golden 
words. 
rnd. — scorn'd,  earn'd,  burn'd,  warn'd. 

We  were  warn'd  of  our  danger  in  time  to 
escape. 

rndst.  —  burn'dst,      turn'dst,      scorn'dst,      warn'dst, 
learn'dst. 

Thou  learn'dst  thy  lesson  well,  though  thou 
scorn' dst  to  confess  it. 

rnz. — spurns,  darns,  mourns,  urns. 

As  the  sun  sets,  the  leaden  cloud  turns  to 
burnished  gold. 
rps. — carps,  warps,  sharps,  thorps,  harps. 

We  hanged  our  harps  upon  the  willows. 

rpt. — warp'd,  usurp'd,  harp'd. 

Wealth  usurped  the  throne  where   intellect 
long  had  ruled. 
rs. — scarce,  purse,  fierce,  source,  farce. 

Costly  thy  habit  as  thy  purse  can  buy. 
rsh. — marsh,  Kershaw,  harsh. 

Kershaw  island  is  in  San  Francisco  Bay. 


104  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

rsts. — versts,  bursts,  thirsts. 

The  Russian  treads  his  weary  versts   o'er 
glittering  fields  of  snow. 
rtst. — smart'st,  hurt'st,  part'st,  girt'st,  report'st. 

O   jealousy  !  thou  part'st  the   hearts    that 
should  be  ours. 
rths. — earths,  worths,  hearths,  births,  fourths. 

The  earth's  productiveness  is  in  excess  of 
possible  consumption. 
rtsht. — march'd,  search'd,  parch'd,  perch'd. 

Pygmies  are   pygmies  still,  though  perch'd 
on  Alps. 
rvd. — preserved,  nerv'd,  starv'd,  carv'd. 

He  never  swerv'd  from  the  line  of  duty. 
rvdst. — curv'dst,  swerv'dst,  carv'dst,  preserv'dst. 

Thou  preserv'dst  me  from  mine  enemies. 
rvz. — nerves,  starves,  swerves. 

The  fool  serves  his  body,  but  starves  his 
mind. 
rvst. — curv'st,  carv'st,  preserv'st. 

Thou  serv'st  me  well,  thou  nerv'st  my  arm 
for  the  fight. 
rz. — stars,  wars,  bars,  tears,  stores. 

His  fears  were  the  children  of  a  violated 
conscience. 
sf. — Sphinx,  sphere. 

Within  my  sphere,  I  am  as   secret   as  the 
Sphinx. 
shr. — shrill,  shriek,  shrine,  shrink,  shrunk,  shrank. 

He  shrank  from  the  shrill  shriek  of  the  un- 
shriven,  who  wildly  wailed  and  wept  before  the 
shrine. 


ARTICULATION.  105 

sk. — skill,  scald,  scold,  scamp,  scull,  scum. 

The  scamp  sculled  the  boat  away  and  left 
me  to  scud  home  on  foot. 

skr. — scream,  scratch,  scrawl,  screen,  scringe,  scribe. 
Across  the  scraggy  edge  he  drew  the  screech- 
ing file, 
sks.— tasks,  masks,  frisks,  desks,  asks. 

He  basks  in  the  sunshine  of  fortune,  for  his 
tasks  of  life  are  well  done. 

skst. — mask'st,  frisk'st,  bask'st,  tusk'st. 

Ask'st  thou  to  whom   belongs  this  valley 
fair? 
skt. — task'd,  frisk'd,  ask'd,  tusk'd,  bask'd. 

He  risk'd  his  own,  another's  life  to  save. 

sld. — whistl'd,  wrestl'd,  tussl'd,  jostl'd,  bustl'd. 

Nestl'd  in  a  quiet  valley,  the  peaceful  ham- 
let looked  the  home  of  the  fairies. 

slz. — brisl's,  bustl's,  trestl's,  thistl's,  nestl's. 

In  our  tussles  with  Fate,  she  often  jostles 
the  conceit  out  of  us,  and  hustles  common 
sense  in. 

slst. — rustl'st,  jostl'st,  nestl'st,  bristl'st,  bustl'st. 
Thou  wrestfst  bravely  with  thy  faults. 
sm. — smote,  smile,  small,  smash,  smack. 

The  smooth  waters  smoother  grow, 
As  the  sunset  smiles  upon  the  lake. 

snd. — glist'n'd,  moist'n'd,  list'n'd,  less'n'd. 

We  listen  d  to  the  mocking  bird  singing  as 
the  dew  moisten  d  the  grass. 
snz. — list'ns,  moist'ns,  glist'ns,  pers'ns. 

"  Farewell !  "  moist 'ns  many  an  eye. 


106  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

snst. — less'n'st,  list'n'st,  hast'n'st. 

Thou  hast'n'st  homeward  without  delay. 

spl. — splendid,  splutter,  spleen,  split,  splash. 

The  full  moon  rides  in  splendor  thro'  the 
midnight  sky. 
spr.— spring,  sprung,  sprain,  spray,  sprig. 

The  cold  spray  turns  to  ice  as  it  touches  the 
colder  sprigs  of  the  overhanging  branches. 

sps. — gasps,  hasps,  lisps,  clasps,  rasps. 

He   shudders,  gasps ;  Jove  help  him ;    so, 
he's  dead. 
spt. — lisp'd,  clasp'd,  grasp'd. 

He  lisp'd  the  words  he  should  have  spoken. 
St. — stay,  still,  stamp,  list,  last,  lost. 

Hast  thou  a  charm  to  stay  the  morning  star  2 
Str. — strength,  strut,  stroll,  strive,  strown. 

They  have  strewn  their  beds  with  roses,  but 
they  will  lie  down  on  thorns. 
Sts. — blasts,  rusts,  casts,  mists,  tastes,  boasts. 

Wastes  and  deserts  ;  not  waste  sand  deserts. 
Stst. — last'st,  list'st,  boast'st,  tast'st,  tdast'st. 

Thou  wast'st  thy  breath  to  no  purpose. 
thn. — strength'n,  length'n. 

Live  temperately  if  you  would  length'n  your 
days. 

thnd. — length'n'd,  strength'n'd. 

Spend  not  thy  length'n'd  years  in  vain, 
thndst.-length'n'dst,  strength'n'dst. 

Thou  strength'n'dst  him  for  the  fight. 

thnz. — strength'ns,  length'ns. 

He  lengthens  the  hour  in  vain. 


ARTICULATION.  107 

ths. — youths,  faiths,  truths,  swaths,  wreaths. 

He  sheaths  the  sword  that  ne'er  was  drawn 
in  vain. 

thr. — thrum,  thrill,  throb,  thrush,  throttle. 

Soft  is  the  thrill  that  memory  throws  across 
the  soul. 

tht. — betroth'd.    She  was  early  betrottid  to  the  man 
she  loved. 

thd.— seeth'd,  sooth'd,  bath'd;  loath'd,  breath'd. 

They  bathd  his  heated   brain,  and  sooth'd 
his  frantic  fears. 

thz. — breath's,  bath's,  tith's,  scyth's,  loath's. 
She  loath's  the  very  sight  of  him. 

thst. — writh'st,  smooth'st,  breath'st,  bath'st. 

O  guilt !  thou  bath'st  the  world  in  tears. 

thdst. — breath'dst,  writh'dst,  smooth'dst. 

Thou  smooth dst  my  pathway  down  the  hill 
of  life. 

tld.— prattl'd,  bottl'd,  rattl'd,  throttl'd. 

The  child  prattr d  on  while  the  mother's 
heart  was  torn  with  grief. 

tldst.— startl'dst,  bottl'dst,  rattl'dst,  throttl'dst. 

Thou  startl'dst  the  sleepers  from  their  gen- 
tle slumbers. 

tlz. — battl's,  titl's,  bottl's,  turtl's,  rattl's. 

At  the  thought  of  her,  how  the  blood  man- 
tles to  his  cheek. 

tlst— battl'st,  throttl'st,  startl'st. 

Thou  throttl'st  the  demon  intemperance  and 
savest  thy  life, 


jo8  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

tnd. — sweet'n'd,  whit'n'd,  mitt'n'd,  bright'n'd. 

His  heart  light* rid  at  the  thought  of  her  he 
soon  would  see. 
tnz. — whit'ns,  kitt'ns,  mitt'ns,  light'ns. 

The  snow  whit'ns  all  the  trees  and  fields. 
tr. — truth,  trim,  tread. 

Tramp)  tramp,  tramp,  came  the  troops'  tri- 
umphant tread. 
tsh. — church,  chime,  chubby,  touch,  wretch. 

He  heard  the  chit-chat  of  the  chubby  children 
dear. 
tsht. — match'd,  watch'd,  touch'd,  fetch'd. 

He  touched  a  chord  that  thrilled  all  hearts 
with  joy. 
tshtst.—touch'dst,  parch'dst,  snatch'dst. 

Thou  touch dst  his  wounded  heart. 

ts. — huts,  bets,  lots,  lights. 

Ten   censure   wrong   for   one   who   writes 
amiss. 
tst. — start'st,  shout'st,  sitt'st,  sport'st,  smart'st. 

Thou  start'st  at  trifles. 

vd. — believ'd,  liv'd,  lov'd,  brav'd,  starv'd,  sav'd. 
He  liv'd  the  life  his  conscience  approved. 
vdst. — deserv'dst,  liv'dst,  believ'dst,  deceiv'dst. 

Believ'dst  thou  what  the  prophets  have  told 
thee? 
.    vld. — shrivl'd,  shovl'd,  grovl'd. 

The  shrivl'd  heart  of  the  miser  has  no  place 
for  pity. 
vldst. — grovTdst,  shovTdst. 

The  worm  that  grovTdst  in  the  earth, 
On  fairy  wings  will  cleave  the  sky. 


ARTICULATION.  109 

vlst. — drivTst,  shovTst,  ravTst,  shriv'l'st. 

Thou  trav'l'st  a  long  journey  to  reach  the 
Mecca  of  thy  heart, 
viz. — ev'ls,  lev'ls,  shov'ls,  driv'ls,  bev'ls. 

Love  lev'ls  all  ranks. 
vnz. — ov'ns,    crav'ns,  ev'ns,  sev'ns,  heav'ns. 

The  heav'ns  declare  the  glory  of  God. 
vnth. — sev'nth,  elev'nth. 

At    the    elev'nth  hour   you   came,    though 
called  at  the  sev'nth. 
vz. — sheaves,  waves,  gloves,  groves,  saves,  lives. 

Leaves  have  their  time  to  fall. 
vst. — liv'st,  sav'st,  prov'st,  starv'st,  shov'st. 

Thou  prov'st  thyself  equal  to  the  occasion. 
znd. — blaz'n'd,  seas'n'd,  reas'n'd,  pris'n'd. 

The   emblaz'n'd  banners    flaunted  on    the 
breeze. 
znz. — seas'ns,  pris'ns,  reas'ns,  impris'ns. 

Thou  hast   all    seas'ns   for    thine   own,    O 
Death  ! 

znst. — seas'n'st,  emblaz'n'st,  impris'n'st. 

Thou   emblaz'n'st  his    name   high   on   the 
scroll  of  fame. 

TABLE  VI. 

[Vowel  sounds,  with  their  "  diacritical  marks,"  as  used 
in  Webster's  Dictionary.] 

1.  a,  as  in  ale,  may,  fate,  fame. 

2.  a,      "     add,  mat,  fat,  back. 

3.  a,      "     air,  fair,  wear,  tear. 

4.  a,      "     arm,  aunt,  palm,  laugh. 


110  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

5.  a,  as  in  ask,  glass,  ant,  branch. 

6.  a,      "     all,  swarthy,  talk,  law. 

7.  a,      "     what,  wallet,  was,  yacht. 

1.  e,  as  in  eve,  eke,  mete,  believe. 

2.  e,      "     end,  fetch,  web,  deck. 

3.  e,      "     ere,  there,  where,  ne'er. 

4.  e,      "     eight,  prey,  feign,  heinous. 

5.  e,      "     earn,  terse,  pert,  serve. 

1.  I,  *as  in  ire,  bind,  thrive,  wise. 

2.  i,      "     ill,  pity,  fit,  finish. 

3.  i,      "     police,  marine,  pique,  retrieve. 

4.  T,      "     irksome,  firm,  bird,  whirl. 

1.  o,  as  in  ode,  note,  hold,  no. 

2.  6,     "     odd,  lock,  docile,  rob. 

3.  6,     "     other,  won,  son,  brother. 

4.  6,     "     order,  storm,  born,  horse. 

5.  p,     "     move,  prove,  whom,  lose. 

6.  o,     "     bosom,  wolf,  woman,  Wolsey. 

1.  u,  as  in  (y)use,  lute,  elude,  presume. 

2.  u,     "     us,  hush,  bud,  muddle. 

3.  u,     "     urn,  furl,  lurk,  murmur. 

4.  u,     "     rude,  prune,  rural,  true. 

5.  u,     "     push,  put,  bullet,  full. 

1.  y,  as  in  my,  fly,  gyve,  try. 

2.  y,     "     nymph,  lily,  lyric,  abyss. 

In  the  foregoing  table  it  will  be  seen  that  the  "  reg- 
ular long,"  or  name  sounds  of  the  vowels  are  marked 
alike.  The  mark  is  called  "  macron"  (from  the 
Greek  makros,  meaning  long).  The  same  is  true  with 
the  "  regular  short  "  vowel  sounds,  each  of  which  is 
marked  with  the  "  breve"  (from  the  Latin  brevis, 


ARTICULATION.  Ill 

short}.  The  marks  of  the  other  vowel  sounds — the 
"  occasional  sounds,"  have  no  special  significance, 
only  as  each  is  associated  with  the  sound  of  the 
vowel  represented  by  the  marking. 

There  are  several  vowel  sounds  not  recognized  by 
the  dictionaries  in  the  "  key  to  pronunciation,"  such  as 
"  a  "  in  many,  says,  again,  and  saith  ;  "  e  "  as  in  pretty, 
and  "  ee  "  in  been  ;  "  o  "  in  work,  worth,  worship,  worse, 
etc.,  and  "o"  in  women;  au"  in  busy,  and  in  bury ; 
and  "  y  "  in  myrrh,  myrtle,  etc.  But  these  play  such  an 
insignificant  part  in  pronunciation,  that  they  are  very 
properly  regarded  as  exceptional  sounds,  and  not  en- 
titled to  recognition. 

In  the  rapid  enunciation  of  syllables  and  words, 
many  of  the  long  vowel  sounds  become  obscure.  The 
gliding  movement,  so  important  to  the  melody  of 
speech,  makes  this  necessary.  The  obscured  vowel 
generally  tends  toward  a  corresponding  short  vowel 
sound.  As,  for  example,  a  obscure  tends  towards  e  ;  e, 
towards  i  ;  a,  towards  a  ;  o,  towards  u,  and  do,  towards 
ob. 

In  Table  VI.  it  will  be  seen  that  there  are  different 
vowels  representing  the  same  sound.  The  following  is 
a  list  of  the  exact  equivalents. 

a  =  e  ;  a=e  ;  a=6  ;  e  =  i ;  e  —  T=u  ;  i  =  y  ;  i=:y  ;  6 
=  u  ;  o  — u  =  oo  ;  o~u  =  ovb. 

There  are  also  many  equivalents  of  the  vowel  sounds 
formed  by  vowel  combinations,  but  as  this  is  not  a  text- 
book on  orthography,  their  tabulation  is  purposely 
omitted. 

ANALYSIS   OF   WORDS. 

\Analysis,  Syllabication,  Accent,  and  Pronunciation^ 
One  of  the  best  means  for  correcting  a  faulty  articu- 


112  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

lation  and  improving  a  good  one,  is  the  exercise  of  the 
voice  and  the  organs  of  articulation  in  the  analysis  of 
words,  as  follows  : 

1.  Divide  the  word  into  its  syllables  by  pronouncing 
each  syllable  separately. 

2.  Divide  each  syllable  into  its  elements,  giving  each 
element  very  distinctly  three  times  ;  then  combine  the 
elements  and  pronounce  the  syllable  thus  formed  with 
precision,  proceeding  with  each  syllable  of  the  word  in 
the  same  way. 

3.  Next,  place  the  accent  upon  the  syllable  to  which 
it  belongs,  and  repeat  the  word  several  times,  exagger- 
ating the  accent  in  order  to  counteract  the  too  common 
fault  of  pronouncing  words  with  too  little  accent.     If 
there  is  a  "  secondary  "  accent,  give  it  with  the  degree  of 
emphasis  which  its  relative  importance  demands.     Ac- 
cent is  to  the  syllable  in  the  word,  what  emphasis  is  to 
the  word  in  the  sentence. 

4.  Last,  pronounce  the  word  several  times  very  dis- 
tinctly  and   slowly,   giving   to  each   element  its   due 
amount  of  sound.    Then  repeat  the  pronunciation  over 
and  over  with  the  same  degree  of  accuracy,  but  increas- 
ing the  rapidity  at  each  repetition. 

Whenever  the  student  finds  a  word  difficult  to  articu- 
late or  to  pronounce,  it  should  be  analyzed  and  practiced 
as  directed  above.  The  best  readers  will  come  across 
such  words  now  and  then,  so  that  no  one  gets  beyond 
the  necessity — at  least  the  possibility  of  benefit — of 
such  thorough-going  practices  in  articulation. 

To  the  list  given  below,  the  student  can  add  for  him- 
self such  words  as  he  may  find  most  difficult  to  articu- 
late or  pronounce  correctly. 

A  good  practice  is  to  write  the  word  on  the  black- 


ARTICULATION.  1 13 

board  or  on  paper,  and  then  write  it  underneath  sep- 
arated into  its  syllables.  The  sounds  of  the  vowels 
should  then  be  indicated  according  to  the  markings 
given  in  Table  VI. 

An  "  obscure "  vowel  sound,  (and  there  are  many 
found  in  words,)  may  be  marked  with  the  sign  of  the 
vowel  to  which  it  most  nearly  corresponds  in  sound. 
The'st'lent  letters  may  be  canceled  by  drawing  a  line 
diagonally  across  them.  Where  necessary,  the  conso- 
nants may  also  be  marked. 

The  following  analyses  will  serve  as  models  for  black- 
board practice  : 

Personification  Boundary. 

Per-son'-i-fi-ca'-ti(sh)6n  Boun'd-a-ry 

Though  Company  Phthisic. 

though  com'-pa-ny  //zt^is'-ic 

bade  wire  vehemence 

which  history  solicitously 

been  contempt  .    gradually 

wrestled  really  etymologically 

glass  hospitable  recapitulation 

again  mischievous  superciliousness 

truly  accuracy  allegorically 

laugh  ignorant  particularly 

evening  anemone  accompaniment 

iron  regularly  unintelligibility 

VOWEL   SOUND   PRACTICE. 

The  following  sentences,  embodying  words  contain- 
ing each  of  the  vowel  sounds,  should  be  carefully 
studied,  that  they  may  be  read  with  the  significance 
and  expression  intended  by  the  language.  The  words 


114  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

printed  in  italics  and  containing  the  vowel  under  con- 
sideration should  be  given  with  special  accuracy  and 
distinctness,  but  not,  necessarily,  with  greater  emphasis  : 

a 

1.  The  spangled  heavens,  a  shining  frame, 

Their  great  original  proclaim. 

2.  The  strong-felt  passion  bolts  into  \hzfacej  . 

The  mind  untouched,  what  is  it  but  grimace  ? 

3.  Follow,  brave  hearts  ! — This  pile  remains, 

Our  refuge  still  from  life  and  chains. 

4.  The  cot  may  for  the  palace  change — 

The  palace  for  the  cot. 

5.  From  Hell  Gate  to  Gold  Gate, 

And  the  Sabbath  unbroken, 
A   sweep  continental, 
And  the  Saxon  yet  spoken  ! 

6.  No  matter  how  well  the  track  is  laid, 

No  matter  how  strong  the  engine  is  made, 

When    you  find  you  are  running   the  downward 

grade, 
Put  down  the  brakes. 

7.  Whatever  day  makes  man  a  slave,  takes  half   his 

worth  away. 

a 

1.  Cosmopolitan  rivers,  Mississippi,  Missouri, 

That  travel  ft\&  planet  like  Jordan  thro'  Jewry, 

2.  It  rests  with  me,  here,  brand  to  brand, 
Worn  as  thou  art,  to  bid  thee  stand. 

3.  We  hold  our  greyhound  in  our  hand, 

Our  falcon  on  our  glove  ; 
But  where  shall  we  find  leash  or  band 
For  dame  that  loves  to  rove  ? 


ARTICULATION.  115 

4.  E'en  in  our  ashes  live  their  wonted  fires. 

5.  None  but  himself  can  be  his  parallel. 

6.  Small  feet  VJQXZ  pattering, 

Wooden  shoes  clattering, 
Little  hands  clapping, 

And  little  tongues  chattering 
Like  fowls  in  a  farmyard  when  barley  is  scattering. 


1.  He  dares  not  touch  a  to>  of  Catiline  ! 

2.  Comrade,  enough  !  sit  down  and  share 
A  soldier's  couch,  a  soldier's  fare. 

3.  Tumultuous  grandeur  crowds  the  blazing  square, 
The  rattling  chariots  clash,  the  torches  glare. 

4.  The  fashion  wears   out  more    apparel   than   the 
man. 

5.  The  monk,  with  unavailing  cares 
Exhausted  all  the  Church's  prayers. 

6.  "  Fair,  fair,  and  golden  hair," 

Sang  a  lone  mother  while  weeping  ; 
"  Fair,  fair,  with  golden  hair, 
My  little  one's  quietly  sleeping." 


1.  Better  be 

Where  the  extinguished  Spartans  still  are  free, 
In  their  proud  charnel  of  Thermopylae, 
Than  stagnate  in  our  marsh. 

2.  Hark!  I  hear  the  bugles   of  the  enemy.     They 
are  on  their  march  along  the  bank  of  the  river. 


Il6  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

3.  With  fruitless  labor,  Clara  bound 

And  strove  to  staunch  the  gushing  wound. 
4  Where   deserts  lie  down  in  the  prairies'  broad 

calms, 
Where  lake  links  to  lake  like  the  music  of  psalms. 

5.  Hearts,  like  apples,  are  hard  and  sour, 
Till  crushed  by  Pain's  resistless  power. 

6.  False  wizard,  a  vaunt !  I  have  marshaled  my  clan, 
Their  swords  are  a  thousand,  their  bosoms  are 

one. 

a 

1.  Then  the  poor  exiles,  every  pleasure/^/, 
Hung  round  the  bowers,  and  fondly  looked  their 

last. 

2.  The  besieged  city  was  at  its  last  gasp. 

3.  The  oak-tree  struggling  with  the  blast 

Devours  its  father  tree, 
And  sheds  its  leaves  and  drops  its  mast, 
That  more  may  be. 

4.  The  milk-haired  heifer's  life  mustflass 

That  it  may  fill  your  own, 
As  passed  the  sweet  life  of  the  grass 
She  fed  upon. 

5.  From  hand  to  hand  life's  cup  is  passed 

Up  Being's  piled  gradation, 
Till  men  to  angels  yield  at  last 

The  rich  collation. 

6.  His  shield  is  rent  and  his  lance  is  broken. 

7.  Forth  from  \k&  pass  in  tumult  driven 
Like  chaff  before  the  winds  of  heaven, 

The  archery  appear. 


ARTICULATION. 


1.  The  falcon  preys  upon  the  finch, 
The  finch  upon  the  fly. 

2.  Aurora,  now,  fair  daughter  of  the  dawn, 
Sprinkles  with  rosy  light  the  upland  lawn. 

3.  How  small,  of  all  that  human  hearts  endure, 
That  part  which  laws  or  kings  can  cause  or  cure. 

4.  The  Universal  cause 

Acts  not  by  partial  but  by  general  laws. 

5.  To  where  the  stage,  the  poor,  degraded  stage, 
Holds  its  warped  mirror  to  a  gaping  age. 

6.  These  taught  us  how  to  live  ;  and  (oh  !  too  high 
The  price  for  knowledge)  taught  us  how  to  die. 

7.  Where  the  warbling  waters  flow. 


1.  What !   has  the  yacht  sunk  ? 

2.  Into  Hiawatha's  wigwam 
Came  two  other  guests. 

3.  True  hope  is  swift  and  flies  with  swallow's  wings ; 
Kings  it  makes  gods,  and  meaner  creatures  kings. 

4.  Oh  !  what  a  rogue  and  peasant  slave  am  I  ! 

5.  The  providence  that's  in  a  watchful  state 
Knows  almost  every  grain  of  Plutus'  gold. 


The  best  laid  schemes  o'  mice  and  men, 
Gang  aft  a-gley, 

And  lea'e  us  naught  but  grief  and  pain 
For  promised  joy. 


Il8  VOICE   CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

2.  "  Be  that  word  our  sign  of  parting,  bird  or  fiend  !  " 

I  shrieked,  upstarting. 

3.  O  what  a  tangled  web  we  weave, 
When  first  we  practice  to  deceive  ! 

4.  When  shall  I,  frail  man,  be  pleading  ? 
Who  for  me  be  interceding, 

When  the  just  are  mercy  needing  ? 

5.  Oh,  Thou  that  driest  the  mourner's  tear, 

How  dark  this  world  would  be, 
If,  when  deceived  and  wounded  here. 
We  could  not  fly  to  Thee. 

6.  Clean  is  a  slave  to  grandeur — 

Free  as  thought  am  I  ; 
Clean  fees  a  score  of  doctors — 
Need  of  none  have  I. 

7 .  When  she  had  passed  it  seemed  like  the  ceasing  of 

exquisite  music. 

8.  "  Sleep  soft,  beloved,"  we  sometimes  say : 
But  have  no  power  to  charm  away 

Sad  dreams  that  through  the  eyelids  creep. 


1.  Lest  men  suspect  your  tale  untrue, 
Keep  probability  in  view. 

2.  It  was  like  a  message  from  the  dead.     Mr.  Owen 
took  the  letter,  but  could  not  break  the  envelope  on  ac- 
count of  his  trembling  fingers.     He  held  it  towards  Mr. 
Allen. 

3.  The  chest  contriv'd  a  double  debt  to  pay, 
A  bed  by  night,  a  chest  of  drawers  by  day. 


ARTICULATION.  119 

4.  Let  us  then  with  ourselves  solemn  conference  hold, 
Ere  sleep's  silken  fetters  our  senses  enfold. 

5.  My  conscience  is  my  crown, 

Contented  thoughts  my  rest ; 
My  heart  is  happy  in  itself  y 
My  bliss  is  in  my  breast. 

6.  The  next  night 

It  came  again,  with  a  great  wakening  light, 

And  showed  the  names  whom  love  of  God  had 

blessed, 
And  lo  !  Ben  Adhem's  name  led  all  the  rest. 


1.  A  form  more  fair,  a  face  more  sweet, 
Ne'er  hath  it  been  my  lot  to  meet. 

2.  Howe'er  it  be,  it  seems  to  me, 

Tis  only  noble  to  be  good  ; 
Kind  hearts  are  more  than  coronets, 
And  simple  faith  than  Norman  blood. 

3.  And  no  man  knows  that  sepulcher, 

And  no  man  saw  it  e'er, 
For  the  angels  of  God  upturned  the  sod, 
And  laid  the  dead  man  there. 

4.  Mad  from  life's  history, 
Glad  to  death's  mystery 
Swift  to  be  hurl'd— 
Anywhere,  anywhere, 
Out  of  the  world. 


i.  The  snow-white  signals,  fluttering,  blending, 
Round  her  like  a  veil  descending. 


120  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

2.  They  fell  a  prey,  that  unlucky  day,  to  the  eighth 
Wisconsin  regiment. 

3.  How,  scanning  each  living  temple, 

For  the  place  where  the  veil  is  thin, 
We  may  gather,  by  beautiful  glimpses, 
Some  form  of  the  God  within. 

4.  The   undaunted   but  baffled  troops  fell  an  easy 
prey  to  the  enemy. 


1.  The  quality  of  mercy  is  not  strained. 

2.  Truth  crushed  to  earth  shall  rise  again  ; 

The  eternal  years  of  God  are  hers : 
But  Error,  wounded,  writhes  with  pain, 
And  dies  among  his  worshipers. 

3.  To  err  is  human  ;  to  forgive,  divine. 

4.  And  she  thinks  through  its  swerve 
By  the  telegraph  nerve. 

5.  Bertha  bought  herself  a  serge  dress. 

6.  Doomed  for  a  certain  term  to  walk  the  night. 

7.  Sir,  I  know  the  uncertainty  of  human  affairs. 

I 

1.  Conscript  Fathers, 

/  do  not  rise  to  waste  the  night  in  words. 

2.  And  he  has  never  written  line, 

Nor  sent  you  word,  nor  made  you  sign 
To  say  he  was  alive  ? 

3.  He  once  was  kind ! 

And  I  believed    'twould   last — how   mad  ! — how 
blind! 


ARTICULATION.  121 

4.  There's  a  thrill  in  the  air 

Like  the  tingle  of  wine, 
Like  a  bugle-blown  blast 

When  the  scimiters  shine, 
And  the  sky-line  is  broken 

By  the  Mountains  Divine  ! 

5.  Idleness  is  a  fruitful  cause  of  vice  and  crime. 

6.  Of  all  the  vices  that  conspire  to  blind 

Man's  erring  judgment,  and  misguide  his  mind, 
What  the  weak  head  with  strongest  bias  rules 
Is  pride,  the  never-failing  vice  of  fools. 

7.  He  that  by  the  plow  would  thrive 
Must  either  hold  the  plow  or  drive. 

8.  While  life's  dark  maze  /  tread, 
Be  Thou  my  guide. 

i 

i.  The  sailor's  eyes  were  dim  with  dew,  — 
"  Your  little  lad,  your  Elihu  ?  ' 
He  said  with  trembling  lip,  — 
«  What  little  lad  ?  What 


2.  Ay,  and  that  tongue  of  his,  that  bade  the  Romans 
Mark  him,  and  write  his  speeches  in  their  books, 
**  Alas  !  "  //  cried  —  "Give  me  some  drink,  Titinius" 

3.  Still  it  whispered  promised  pleasure, 

And  bade  the  lovely  scenes  at  distance  hail 

4.  I  found  it  in  his  closet  ,•  'tis  his  will. 

5.  Around  us  are  vineyards 

With  their  jewels  and  gems, 
Living  trinkets  of  wine 

Blushing  warm  on  the  stems. 


122  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

6.  /'  the  name  of  truth, 

Are  ye  fantastical,  or  that  indeed 
Which  outwardly  ye  show  ? 

7.  If  it  were  done,  when  'tis  done,  then  t'  were  well 
//  were  done  quickly. 


1.  The  police   caught   the    marine    just    before   he 
reached  the  boat. 

2.  With  inward  arms,  the  dire  machine  they  load. 

3.  A  deep  ravine  divided  the  opposing  forces. 

4.  Piqued  by  Protogenes'  fame, 
From  Cos  to  Rhodes  Apelles  came. 

5.  Coming  from  an    infected    port,  the   vessel   was 
quarantined. 

6.  I  hear  the  Florentine,  who  from  his  palace 
Wheels  out  his  battle-bell  with  dreadful  din. 


1.  His  mirth  was  the  joy  of  the  mirthful, 
His  firmness  the  pride  of  the  firm. 

2.  Sir,  before  God,  I  believe  the  hour  is  come. 

3.  The  broadest  mirth  unfeeling  folly  wears, 
Less  pleasing  far  than  virtue  s  very  tears. 

4.  "  He  does  not  love  me  for  my  birth, 

Nor  for  my  lands  so  broad  and  fair  : 
He  loves  me  for  my  own  true  worth, 
And  that  is  well,"  said  Lady  Clare. 

5.  The  raven  croaked,  and  hollow  shrieks  of  owls 
Sung  dirges  at  her  funeral. 


ARTICULATION.  123 


1.  Thou  hast  no  shore,  fair  ocean, 
Thou  hast  no  time,  bright  day. 

2.  We  were  as  merry  as   crickets,  and  as  warm  as 
toast,  all  but  our  noses,  toes  and  finger-ends. 

3.  The  mind  that  broods  o'er  guilty  woes 

Is  like  the  scorpion  girt  by  fire  ; 
In  circles  narrowing  as  it  glows, 
The  flames  around  the  captive  close, 
Till  inly  searched  by  thousand  throes, 

And  maddening  in  her  ire, 
One  sad  and  sole  relief  she  knows, 
The  sting  she  nourished  for  her  foes. 

4.  How  fell  he — with  his  face  to  the  foe, 

Upholding  the  flag  he  bore  ? 

5.  To  die  or  conquer  proves  a  hero's  heart, 
And  knowing  this,  I  know  a  soldier  s  part. 


1.  He  that  is  robb'd,  not  wanting  what  is  stolen, 
Let  him  not  know  it,  and  he's  not  robtf  d  at  all. 

2.  Vainly  the  fowler's  eye 

Might  mark  thy  distant  flight  to  do  thee  wrong, 
As,  darkly  painted  on  the  crimson  sky, 
Thy  figure  floats  along. 

3.  Absence  of  occupation  is  not  rest. 

4.  On  their  own  merits  modest  men  are  dumb. 

5.  Give  lettered  pomp  to  teeth  of  time, 

So  Bonny  Doon  but  tarry  ; 
Blot  out  the  epic's  stately  rhyme, 
But  spare  his  Highland  Mary. 


124  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

6.  The  mossy  marbles  rest 

On  the  lips  that  he  has  pressed 
In  their  bloom. 


1.  So  much  one  man  can  do 
That  does  but  act  and  know. 

2.  Who  dares  do  one  thing,  and  another  tell, 
My  heart  detests  him  as  the  gates  of  hell. 

3.  When  other  lips  and  other  hearts 

Their  tales  of  love  shall  tell. 

4.  The  prize  was  won  by  the   son  of  the  governor  s 
cousin. 

5.  Their  blood  ^  on  their  heads. 

6.  Hark,   'tis  his  knock  !    he  comes !  he  comes  once 

more  ! 

6 

1.  California  is  justly  called  the  Golden  State. 

2.  I  trow  they  did  not  part  in  scorn. 

3.  For  fools  rush  in  where  angels  fear  to  tread. 

4.  Stormed  at  with  shot  and  shell 
While  horse  and  hero  fell. 

5.  All  men  think  all  men  mortal  but  themselves. 

6.  A  horse  /  a  horse  !  my  kingdom  for  a  horse. 

p 

1.  Move  not,  or  I  shall  move / 

2.  Softly  sweet  in  Lydian  measures, 
Soon  he  soothed  his  soul  to  pleasures. 


ARTICULATION.  125 

3.  There's  an  old  maxim  in  the  schools, 
That  flattery's  \h&  food  si  fools. 

4.  Sleep  and  death — two  twins  of  winged  race, 
Of  matchless  swiftness,  but  of  silent  pace. 

5.  The  water  oozed  out  from  between  the  rocks,  prov- 
ing the  truth  of  the  old  miner's  statement. 

6.  Prove  all  things  ;  hold  fast  that  which  is  good. 


1.  Happy  he 

With  such  a  mother  !  faith  in  womankind 
Beats  with  his  blood. 

2.  But  on  the  hill  the  golden-rod,  and   the   aster  in 

the  wood, 

And  the  yellow  sunflower  by  the  brook  in  autumn 
beauty  stood. 

3.  I  would 'that  I  could be 
A  hermit  in  the  crowd  like  thee. 

4.  Love,  like  Death, 

Levels  all  ranks,  and  lays  the  shepherd's  crook 
Beside  the  sceptre. 

5.  The  stroke  of  the  woodman  s  ax  resounds 
Through  forest,  hill  and  vale. 


1.  But  since  my  oath  was  taken  for  public  use, 
I  broke  the  letter  of  it  to  keep  the  sense. 

2.  O  for  a  lodge  in  some  vast  wilderness, 
Some  boundless  contiguity  of  shade. 

3.  His  very  foot  has  music  in't 

As  he  comes  up  the  stairs. 


126  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

4.  What  constitutes  a  state  ? 

Men  who  their  duties  know,  but  know  their  rights. 

5.  Do  not  presume  too  much  upon  my  love, 
I  may  do  that  I  shall  be  sorry  for. 

6.  Beautiful  for  situation,  the  joy  of  the  whole  earth 
is  Mount  Zion. 

7.  Strange  !  that  a  harp  of  a  thousand  strings 

Should  keep  in  tune  so  long. 

8.  'Tis  the  same  with  common  natures  : 

Use  'em  kindly,  they  rebel. 

u 

1.  The  trumpet  sounded,  "  Up !  and  to  horse." 

2.  Minutes  and  mercies  multiplied 
Have  made  up  all  this  day. 

3.  War,  he  sung,  is  toil  and  trouble, 
Honor,  but  an  empty  bubble. 

4.  The  sweet  remembrance  of  the  just 
Shall  flourish  when  he  sleeps  in  dust. 

5.  Now  shouts  and  tumults  wake  the  tardy  sun9 
And  with  the  light  the  warrior's  toils  begun. 

6.  In  arms  the  glittering  squadron  round 
Rush  sudden. 

7.  And  once,  but  once  she  lifted  her  eyes, 
And  suddenly,  sweetly,  strangely  blushed. 


1.  Hushed  by  the  murmurs  of  the  rolling  deep. 
At  length  he  sinks  in  the  arms  of  sleep. 

2.  Rest !  rest !  perturbed  spirit. 


ARTICULATION.  127 

3.  Costly  thy  habit  as  thy  purse  can  buy. 

4.  Domestic  happiness  !  thou  only  bliss 
Of  Paradise  that  has  survived  the  fall. 

5.  Through  the  ages,  one  increasing  purpose  runs. 

6.  For  murder,  tho'  it  have  no  tongue,  will  speak. 

7.  The  sepulchre 
Wherein  we  saw  thee  quietly  inurned 
Hath  oped  his  ponderous  and  marble  jaws. 


1.  Here  at  school  we  gather  daily, 

And  we  learn  the  golden  rule. 

2.  Rude  am  I  in  speech, 

And  little  blessed  with  the  set  phrase  of  peace. 

3.  Not  rural  sights  alone,  but  rural  sounds  exhila* 
rate  the  spirit. 

4.  Prudes  are  over  prudent. 

5.  Atoms  or  systems  into  ruin  hurled, 

And  now  a  bubble  burst,  and  now  a  world. 

6.  And  you,  brave  Cobham,  to  the  latest  breath, 
Shall  feel  your  ruling  passion  strong  in  death. 

7.  You  must  wear  your  rue  with  a  difference. 

u 

1.  The  air  \sfull  of  farewells  to  the  dying, 
And  mournings  for  the  dead. 

2.  l&z  putteth  down  one  and  setteth  up  another. 

3.  Pulling  off  his  cap,  he  ascended  the pulpiL 

4.  Put  some  sugar  in  my  tea. 


128  VOICE   CULTURE    AND   ELOCUTION. 

5.  Britannia  needs  no  bulwarks, 

No  towers  along  the  steep. 

6.  Poor  pussy  was  afraid  of  the  big  bull-dog. 

7.  We  ttt  fearfully  and  wonderfully  made. 

y 

1.  Swifter  than  thought  the  wheels  instinctive^, 
Flame  through  the  vast  of  air,  and  reach  the  sky. 

2.  Love  is  a  boy  by  poets  styl'd, 

Then  spare  the  rod  and  spoil  the  child. 

3.  Ay,  sweet  Rosalind. 

4.  Why,  cousin  !  why,  Rosalind  !  thy  words  are  too 
precious  to  be  cast  away  upon  curs. 

5.  I  could  shake  them  off  my  coat  ;  these  burrs  are 

in  my  heart. 

6.  I  would  try,  if  I  could  cry  "  hem  !  "  and  have  him0 

7.  Come,  come,  wrestle  with  thy  affections. 

8.  Whoe'er  I  woo,  myself  would  be  the  wife. 

y 

1.  Myriads  of  daisies  have  shone  forth  in  flower, 
That  none  but  the  lark  hath  seen. 

2.  Have  you  seen  the  pyramids  of  Egypt? 

3.  Pygmies  are  pygmies  still,  though  perched  on  Alps, 
And  pyramids  are  pyramids  in  vales. 

4.  This  life  of  mortal  breath 

Is  but  the  suburb  of  the  life  elysian. 

5.  Can  you    give   the   etymological    analysis  of  the 
word  "  symphony  "  ? 


ARTICULATION.  129 

6.  The  dove  symbolizes  purity. 

7.  I  knew  that  bounding  grace  of  step, 

That  symmetry  of  mould. 

oy 

1.  Heard  ye  the  voice  of  Jove  ?     Success  and  fame 
Await  on  Troy — on  Greece,  eternal  shame. 

2.  In  every  joy  that  crowns  my  days, 

Thy  ruling  hand  I  see. 

3.  Shall  we  clap  into  't  roundly,  without  hawking  or 
spitting,  or  saying  we  are  hoarse,  which  are  the  only 
prologues  to  a  bad  voice  ? 

4.  My  voice  is  ragged  :  I  cannot  please  you. 

5.  He  left  a  name  at  which  the  world  grew  pale, 
To  point  a  moral  or  adorn  a  tale. 

6.  O  woman  !  in  our  hours  of  ease, 
Uncertain,  coy,  and  hard  to  please. 
When  pain  and  anguish  wring  the  brow, 
A  ministering  angel  thou. 

ou 

1.  Loud  sounds  the  ax,  redoubling  strokes  on  strokes. 

2.  The  plowman  homeward   plods  his  weary  way. 

3.  Not  heaven  itself  upon  the  past  has  power, 

But  what  has  been,  has  been,  and  I  have  had  my 
hour. 

4.  Ring  out  old  shapes  of  foul  disease, 

Ring  out  the  narrowing  lust  of  gold  ; 
Ring  out  the  thousand  wars  of  old, 
Ring  in  the  thousand  years  of  peace. 
9 


130  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

5.  Who  is  this  that  darkeneth  counsel\^j  words  with- 
out knowledge  ? 

6.  Man's  inhumanity  to  man 

Makes  countless  thousands  mourn. 

7.  Cold  is  thy  brow,  my  son,  and  I  am  chill, 
As  to  my  bosom  I  have  tried  to  press  thee. 

READING  BY  VOWEL  SOUNDS, 

Is  an  excellent  practice.     The  exercise  may  be  given 
as  follows  : 

Take  some  poem  in  which  the  accent  is  very  pro- 
nounced— the  "  Psalm  of  Life/'  for  example.  Read 
the  first  line  distinctly  and  with  the  required  modula- 
tion and  expression.  Then  drop  the  consonants,  giv- 
ing the  vowels  alone,  as  they  were  heard  in  the  first 
reading,  and  with  the  same  expression. 

"  Tell  me  not  in  mournful  numbers." 
e       e     6   i       6        u     u       ef 

Thus  proceed  with  the  other  lines. 

After  a  little  practice  whole  poems  as  well  as  prose 
selections  may  be  read  thus,  with  almost  as  much  facil- 
ity and  expression  as  when  the  consonants  are  sound- 
ed. There  is  no  better  exercise  for  training  the  ear  to 
catch  the  exact  sounds  of  the  vowels,  and  the  voice  to 
the  habit  of  bringing  out  their  full  value  in  the  words. 
It  is  also  an  excellent  practice  for  modulation. 

SENTENCES  OF  DIFFICULT  ARTICULATION. 

In  the  following  sentences,  give  the  difficult  words 
slowly  and  very  precisely  at  first  ;  then  more  rapidly, 
but  always  with  accuracy  and  distinctness  : 

i.  It  fitteth  for  happiness  and  leadeth  us  thither. 


ARTICULATION.  13! 

2.  It  was  indubitably  an  abominable  eccentricity. 

3.  The  invincible  duplicity  of  inquisitive  men. 

4.  The  listlessness  and  laziness  of  the  frivolous. 

5.  The  consul  should  counsel  with  the  counselors. 

6.  Every  government  has  its  history. 

7.  The  incomprehensibility  of  the  article,  etymolog- 
ically  considered,  is  evident. 

8.  Truly  rural,  truly  rural  rationalist.        [Repeat.] 

9.  A  big  black  bug  bit  a  big  black  bear.  " 

10.  February  and  June,  February  and  June.     " 

11.  The   miserable   accompaniment  is   unnecessary 
and  intolerable. 

12.  Black  babbling  brooks  break  brawling  o'er  their 
bounds. 

13.  Shoes  and  socks  shock  Susan.      [Repeat.] 

14.  Sheep  soup,  shoat  soup.  " 

15.  Some  shun  sunshine.  " 

1 6.  She  sells  sea-shells.  " 

17.  Five  wives  weave  withes.  " 

1 8.  Tie  tight  Dick's  kite.  " 

19.  Geese  cackle,  cattle  low,  crows  caw,  cocks  crow. 

20.  She  stood  at  the  gate  welcoming  them  in. 

21.  A  great  big  brig's  freight. 

22.  Three  gray  geese  in  a  green  field  grazing, — gray 
were  the  geese,  green  was  the  grazing. 

23.  Execrable  Xantippe  exhibited  extraordinary  and 
excessive  irritability. 

24.  Bob  beat  Ben  Brindle's  bramble  bushes. 

25.  Ducks,  dogs,  dandies  and  donkeys  are  depreda- 
tors. 


132  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

26.  Grandmother's  giggling  girls  have  golden  gog- 
gles got. 

27.  Wanton  wags  with  woful  words  the  winds  bewail. 

28.  Mr.   YeW)  did  you  say  what  Mr.   Yew   Yaw  said 
you  said? 

29.  I  was  charmed  with  the  chit-chat  of  the  chubby 
children  dear. 

30.  Thrilling  thunder  thriftless  throngs  the  Frith  of 
Forth. 

31.  Whim-whams,  whirligigs  and  whimpering  whirl- 
winds whirled  by. 

32.  He  sweats  and  boasts,  and  twists  his  texts,  to 
suit  the  several  sects. 

33.  It  was  a  positively  and  a  provokingly  pecuniary 
predicament. 

34.  Theophilus  Thistle,  the  successful  thistle-sifter, 
in  sifting  a  sieve  full  of  unsifted  thistles,  thrust  three 
thousand  thistles  through  the  thick  of  his  thumb  ;  see 
that   thou,  in   sifting  a  sieve  full  of  unsifted   thistles, 
thrust  not  three  thousand  thistles  through  the  thick  of 
thy  tongue.      Success  to  the  successful  thistle-sifter. 

35.  It  is  a  shame,  Sam  ;  these  are  the  same,  Sam  ; 
'tis  all  a  sham,   Sam  ;  and  a  shame  it  is  to  sham  so, 
Sam. 

36.  Like  the  bugle-blown  blast  where  the  scimiters 
shine. 

37.  They  are  confusing  weak  men's  ideas,  and  mak- 
ing weak  women's  minds  weaker. 

38.  Good  blood,  bad  blood.      [Repeat] 


ARTICULATION.  133 

39.  And  the  columns  that  were  scattered  round  the 

colors  that  were  tattered, 

Toward  the    sullen,  silent  fortress,  turned  their 
belted  breasts  again. 

40.  I  must  decline 

To  sit  in  solemn  silence  in  a  dull,  dark  dock, 
In  a  pestilential  prison,  with  a  life-long  lock, 
Awaiting  the  sensation  of  a  short,  sharp  shock, 
From  a  cheap  and  chippy  chopper  on  a  big,  black 
block. 

41.  Amidst  the  mists  and  frosts  the  coldest, 
With  wrists  the  barest  and  heart  the  boldest, 
Thou  thrust'st  thy  fists  'gainst  posts  the  oldest, 
And  yet  insist'st  thou  still  beholdest 

The  ghastly  ghosts  in  Sixth  street. 

42.  Xeuxis  hath  fooled  birds,  but  Parrhasius  hath 
fooled  Xeuxis. 

AN    ALPHABETICAL  ALLITERATION. — 

An  Austrian  army  awfully  arrayed 

Boldly  by  battery  besieged  Belgrade. 

Cossack  commanders  cannonading  come, 

Dealing  destruction's  devastating  doom  ; 

Every  endeavor  engineers  essay 

For  fame,  for  fortune  fighting — furious  fray  ! 

Generals  'gainst  generals  grapple — gracious  God  ! 

How  honors  Heaven  heroic  hardihood  ! 

Infuriate,  indiscriminate  in  ill, 

Kindred  kill  kinsmen,  kinsmen  kindred  kill. 

Labor  low  levels  longest,  loftiest  lines  ; 

Men    march    'mid    mounds,   'mid  moles,  'mid  murd'rous 

mines. 

Now  noxious,  noisy  numbers,  noting  naught 
Of  outward  obstacles,  opposing  ought ; 


134  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

Poor  patriots,  partly  purchased,  partly  pressed, 
Quite  quaking,  quickly  "  Quarter  !  Quarter  ! "  'quest. 
Reason  returns,  religious  right  redounds, 
Suwarrow  stops  such  sanguinary  sounds. 
Truce  to  thee,  Turkey  !     Triumph  to  thy  train, 
Unwise,  unjust,  unmerciful  Ukraine  ! 
Vanish,  vain  victory  !     Vanish,  victory  vain  ! 
Why  wish  we  warfare  ?     Wherefore  welcome  were 
Xerxes,  Ximenes,  Xanthus,  Xavier  ? 
Yield,  yield,  ye  youths  !  ye  yeomen,  yield  your  yell  ! 
Zeus',  Zarpater's,  Zoroaster's  zeal, 
Attracting  all  arms  against  acts  appeal. 

PRONUNCIATION. 

Pronunciation  is  more  a  matter  of  habit  than  of 
knowledge.  The  same  is  true  of  articulation.  The 
mere  knowledge  of  the  right  way  will  not  correct  a 
mispronunciation,  or  remove  a  faulty  articulation. 

The  frequent  repetition  of  the  correct  way  must 
form  the  habit  that  will  crowd  out  the  wrong  way. 
Knowledge,  of  course,  is  necessary,  and  must  always 
precede  practice.  But  it  is  PRACTICE  that  effects  a 
reformation. 

Standards  of  pronunciation  are,  perhaps,  more  de- 
pendent upon  custom  than  upon  etymological  and 
accentual  laws.  As  to  a  large  majority  of  our  words, 
the  pronunciations  are,  no  doubt,  established  ;  but 
with  regard  to  a  considerable  minority,  an  irrepressi- 
ble struggle  seems  to  be  going  on  between  custom  and 
law,  with  the  former  in  the  vantage  ground. 

As  uniformity  is  desirable,  conformity  to  some  high 
standard  becomes  necessary.  And  since  our  best  dic- 
tionaries constitute  that  standard,  we  should  appeal  to 
them,  and  recognize  their  authority  as  final. 


ARTICULATION.  135 

Every  student  should  make  a  list  of  his  own  mis- 
pronounced words,  putting  down  such,  from  time  to 
time,  as  he  finds  that  (through  ignorance  or  habit)  he 
mispronounces  or  fails  to  articulate  with  sufficient  dis- 
tinctness. The  teacher,  too,  should  note  such  words 
as  the  pupil  may  fail  to  give  correctly  in  his  readings 
•  and  recitations,  not  only  criticising  the  pupil  at  the 
time,  but  giving  him  a  list  of  the  words,  with  the 
vowels  and  accentuations  carefully  marked. 

The  student  should  practice  his  list  of  words  daily, 
giving  each  word  aloud  three  times  with  great  distinct- 
ness, and  increasing  the  rapidity  at  each  pronuncia- 
tion. A  thorough  analysis  of  the  hardest  words,  ac- 
cording to  the  directions  already  given,  would  be  an 
excellent  and  a  profitable  practice. 

That  no  student  may  lay  claim  to  infallibility,  and 
that  all  may  fully  appreciate  the  difficulties  in  pronun- 
ciation, and  the  necessity  of  frequent  appeals  to  the 
dictionary,  the  following  literary  curiosity  is  inserted 
for  study  and  practice  : 

EXERCISE  IN  PRONUNCIATION. 

One  enervating  morning,  just  after  the  rise  of  the 
sun,  a  youth,  bearing  the  cognomen  of  Galileo,  glided  in 
his  gondola  over  the  legendary  waters  of  the  lethean 
Thames.  He  was  accompanied  by  his  allies  and  coadju- 
tors, the  dolorous  Pepys  and  the  erudite  Cholmondeley, 
the  most  combative  aristocrat  extant,  and  an  epicurean 
who,  for  learned  vagaries  and  revolting  discrepancies 
of  character,  would  take  precedence  of  the  most  eru- 
dite of  Areopagitic  literati. 

These  sacrilegious  dramatis  persona  were  discussing 


136  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

in  detail  a  suggestive  address,  delivered  from  the  pro- 
scenium box  of  the  Calisthenic  Lyceum  by  a  notable 
financier,  on  obligatory  hydropathy  as  accessory  to  the 
irrevocable  and  irreparable  doctrine  of  evolution,  which 
has  been  vehemently  panegyrized  by  a  splenetic  pro- 
fessor of  acoustics,  and  simultaneously  denounced  by 
a  complaisant  opponent  as  an  undemonstrated  ro- 
mance of  the  last  decade,  amenable  to  no  reasoning, 
however  allopathic,  outside  of  its  own  lamentable 
environs. 

These  peremptory  tripartite  brethren  arrived  at 
Greenwich,  to  aggrandize  themselves  by  indulging  in 
exemplary  relaxation,  indicatory  of  implacable  detesta- 
tion of  integral  tergiversation  and  exoteric  intrigue. 
They  fraternized  with  a  phrenological  harlequin  who 
was  a  connoisseur  in  mezzotint  and  falconry.  This 
piquant  person  was  heaping  contumely  and  scathing 
raillery  on  an  amateur  in  jugular  recitative,  who  held 
that  the  Pharaohs  of  Asia  were  conversant  with  his 
theory  that  morphine  and  quinine  were  exorcists  of 
bronchitis. 

Meanwhile,  the  leisurely  Augustine  of  Cockburn 
drank  from  a  tortoise  shell  wassail  cup  to  the  health  of 
an  apotheosized  recusant,  who  was  his  supererogatory 
patron,  and  an  assistant  recognizance  in  the  immobile 
nomenclature  of  interstitial  molecular  phonics.  The 
contents  of  the  vase  proving  soporific,  a  stolid  plebeian 
took  from  its  cerements  an  heraldic  violoncello,  and 
assisted  by  a  plethoric  diocesan  from  Pall  Mall,  who 
performed  on  a  sonorous  piano-forte,  proceeded  to 
wake  the  clangorous  echoes  of  the  Empyrean.  They 
bade  the  prolix  Caucasian  gentleman  not  to  miscon- 
strue their  inexorable  demands,  whilst  they  dined  on 


ARTICULATION.  137 

acclimated  anchovies  and  apricot  truffles,  and  had  for 
dessert  a  wiseacre's  pharmacopoeia. 

Thus  the  truculent  Pythagoreans  had  a  novel  repast 
fit  for  the  gods.  On  the  subsidence  of  the  feast  they 
alternated  between  soft  languor  and  isolated  scenes 
of  squalor,  which  followed  a  mechanic's  reconnoissance 
of  the  imagery  of  Uranus,  the  legend  of  whose  incog- 
nito related  to  a  poniard  wound  in  the  abdomen,  re- 
ceived while  cutting  a  swath  in  the  interests  of  teleg- 
raphy and  posthumous  photography.  Meantime,  an 
unctuous  orthoepist  applied  an  homeopathic  restorative 
to  the  retina  of  an  objurgatory  spaniel  (named  Daniel), 
and  tried  to  perfect  the  construction  of  a  behemoth, 
which  had  got  mired  in  a  pygmean  slough  while  listen- 
ing to  the  elegiac  soughing  of  the  prehistoric  wind. 


MODULATION    AND  EXPRESSION. 

""Pis  not  enough  the  voice  be  sound  and  clear — 

'Tis  MODULATION  that  must  charm  the  ear.          — Lloyd. 

Give  me,  of  every  language,  first  my  vigorous  English, 
Stored  with  imported  wealth,  rich  in  its  natural  mines. 
********** 
Grandly  the  thought  rides  the  words,  as  a  good  horseman  his  steed. 

—  W.  W.  Story. 

THE  principal  elements  of  Modulation  are  pitch,  force, 
and  stress ;  while  Expression  is  an  inclusive  term,  com- 
prehending all  physical  and  vocal  means  for  the  com- 
munication of  thought  and  feeling. 

Pitch  has  already  been  defined  as  the  elevation  and 
depression  of  the  voice  on  the  musical  scale. 

Force  relates  to  the  loudness  of  sound,  or  more  prop- 
erly to  the  degree  of  energy  ;  and  Stress  to  the  different 
ways  in  which  the  energy  is  applied. 

It  is  a  common  fault  to  confound  Pitch  with  Force. 
High  and  low  imply  change  of  key,  having  no  refer- 
ence to  degree  of  force.  Loud  and  soft  refer  to  the  lat- 
ter, and  denote  different  degrees  of  energy,  volume,  or 
power  of  voice  on  the  same  key,  and  correspond  to  forte 
a.r\&  piano  in  music.  The  actor  may  give  his  "asides" 
in  low  pitch  and  in  aspirated  quality  to  indicate  secrecy, 
yet  the  words  are  given  with  sufficient  loudness  to  be 
heard  by  all.  The  roar  of  heavy  artillery  is  very  low 
pitch,  and  the  sound  of  the  ^Eolian  harp  very  high  ; 
but  the  former,  though  low,  is  loud,  and  the  latter, 
though  high,  is  soft.  Yet,  as  a  general  rule,  an  eleva- 
tion in  pitch  calls  for  a  corresponding  increase  in  force. 


MODULATION    AND    EXPRESSION.  139 

In  the  preceding  pages,  the  "  mechanics  "  of  Elocu- 
tion have  been  given  special  prominence.  The  devel- 
opment and  culture  of  Action,  Voice,  and  Articulation 
have  been  made  the  chief  work  of  the  student. 

In  the  following  pages,  this  elementary  or  founda- 
tion work  should  not  be  neglected,  but  should  be  car- 
ried into  practical  and,  as  soon  as  possible,  unconscious 
application. 

In  this  higher  department,  to  which  the  attention  of 
the  pupil  is  now  called,  the  intellectual  and  emotional 
natures  should  be  more  particularly  enlisted.  Each 
example  should  be  rendered  with  the  required  expres- 
sion— which  must  be  determined  largely  by  the  student 
himself. 

The  authority  references,  in  connection  with  the  illus- 
trative paragraphs  in  Modulation  and  Expression,  will 
enable  the  student  to  study  the  "  context,"  which  is 
generally  necessary  in  order  to  understand  the  thought 
and  feeling  which  the  words  of  the  passage  are  intend- 
ed to  convey. 

In  addition  to  the  examples  given  in  the  text-book, 
the  teacher  should  require  advanced  pupils  to  make 
selections  of  their.own  under  each  rule. 


< 
<   s- 

v 


PITCH. 


THE  degrees  of  pitch  range  from  the  lowest  to  the 
highest  note  within  the  compass  of  the  voice.  For 
practice,  five  degrees  are  usually  recognized  in  elocu- 
tion, namely:  very  low ',  lowy  middle ',  high^  and  very  high. 
These  include  all  the  intermediate  degrees. 

After  the  exercises  given  under  Voice  Culture  are 
mastered,  the  following  will  be  found  an  excellent 
practice  to  increase  the  availability  of  the  voice,  for 
purposes  of  speech,  throughout  its  compass. 

Give  the  first  sentence  below  with  a  gradually  ascend- 
ing pitch,  from  the  lowest  to  the  highest  note  within 
the  compass  of  the  voice,  as  indicated. 

Voices  that  can  command  two  octaves  may  give  each 
syllable  in  the  sentence  on  a  successively  higher  note — 
running,  say,  from  "  G,"  below"  midcUe  C,"  to  the  sec- 
ond "  G  "  above.  Those  having  a  more  limited  com- 
pass can  run  up  by  half  tones,  or,  if  that  is  too  difficult, 
they  may  give  two  syllables  to  each  note  ;  this  will  re- 
quire but  one  octave.  The  commencing  tone  (key  note) 
may  be  "  G,"  "  A,"  "  B,"  or  "  C." 

Practice  thus  :  First  give  each  syllable  of  the  sen- 
tence in  the  singing  voice  ;  then  in  the  half  musical  ; 
and  lastly  in  the  speaking  or  colloquial  voice,  exagger- 
ating the  interrogative  slide  on  the  last  syllable  by  let- 
ting the  voice  run  into  a  very  high  pitch. 


PITCH.  141 

tion  ?         G 
ac- 

in-  F 

and 

tion  E 

lu- 

o-  D 

res- 

ir-  C 

by 

strength          B 
er 

gath-  A 

we 
Shall  G 

The  following  additional  sentences  should  be  given 
first  as  in  the  foregoing  exercise,  and  then  in  the 
speaking  voice  with  the  required  expression. 

1.  Would  you  wrest  the  wreath  of  fame 
From  the  hand  of  fate  ? 

Paddle  your  own  Canoe.  Mrs.  S.  T.  Bolton. 

2.  Would  you  write  a  deathless  name 

With  the  good  and  great  ? 
id.  id. 

3.  Shall  we  acquire  the  means  of  effectual  resistance  by  ly- 
ing supinely  upon  our  backs,  and  hugging  the  delusive  phan- 
tom of  hope,  until  our  enemies  shall  have  bound  us  hand  and 
foot  ? 

Patrick  Henry. 

A  similar  practice  on  the  descending  scale  is  indicated 
on  the  next  page. 


142  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

All 

gloom — 
all 

si- 
lence— 
all 

des- 
pair ! 

ADDITIONAL  SENTENCES  : — 

1.  How  jocund  did  they  drive  their  team  afield  ! 

2.  Alas  !  for  the  rarity 
Of  Christian  charity 

Under  the  sun  ! 

Bridge  of  Sighs.  Hood 

3.  Oh,  horrible  !  horrible  !  most  horrible  ! 

4.  O  that  this  too,  too  solid  flesh  would  melt, 
Thaw,  and  resolve  itself  into  a  dew  ! 

Hamlet,  Act  /.,  Sc.  2.  Shakespeare 

ASCENDING  AND  DESCENDING  COMBINED  : — 

1.  Came  I  not  forth  upon  thy  pledge,  my  father's  hand  to 

kiss? 

Be  still,  and  gaze  thou  on,  false  king,  and  tell  me  what 
is  this. 

Bernardo  del  Carpio.  Mrs.  Hemans. 

2.  Would  ye  give  it  up  to  slaves  ? 
Would  ye  look  for  greener  graves  ? 

Hope  ye  mercy  still  ? — 
What's  the  mercy  despots  feel  ? 

Warren's  Address.  Pierpont.      • 

3.  When  this  fiery  mass 

Of  living  valor,  rolling  on  the  foe, 
And  burning  with  high  hope, — 
Shall  moulder  cold  and  low  ! 

Childe  Harold,  Canto  III.  Byrcn. 


PITCH.  143 

In  unimpassioned  styles,  such  as  ordinary  conversa- 
tion, the  didactic,  the  narrative,  etc.,  the  Middle  Pitch 
predominates. 

In  impassioned  utterance,  as  in  exultation,  anxiety, 
joy,  hailing,  and  in  most  of  the  livelier  emotions  of  ex- 
citation, High  and  Very  High  Pitch  is  employed. 

While  in  solemnity,  awe,  reverence,  and  generally  in 
doubt,  dread,  scorn,  and  sorrow,  a  Low,  and  a  Very  Low 
pitch  of  voice  is  used. 

The  degree  of  pitch  depends  largely  upon  the  ear- 
nestness with  which  the  emotion  is  expressed, — an  in- 
crease in  earnestness  calling  fpr  a  higher  pitch  and  usu- 
ally for  an  increase  in  force.  This  makes  many  of  the 
examples  under  High  and  Very  High  pitch  interchange- 
able ;  also  those  under  Low  and  Very  Low. 

MIDDLE  PITCH  : — 

1.  Next  to  the  originator  of  a  good  sentence,  is  the  first 
quoter  of  it. 

2.  A  Sensitive  Plant  in  a  garden  grew  ; 

And  the  young  winds  fed  it  with  silver  dew, 
And  it  opened  its  fan-like  leaves  to  the  light, 
And  closed  them  beneath  the  kisses  of  night. 

The  Sensitive  Plant.  Shelley. 

3.  There  is  a  river  in  the  ocean.     In  the  severest  drought 
it  never  fails,  and  in  the  mightiest  floods  it  never  overflows. 
Its  banks  and  its  bottom  are  of  cold  water,  while  its  current 
is  of  warm.     The    Gulf  of  Mexico  is  its  fountain,  and  its 
mouth  is  in  the  Arctic  Ocean.     It  is  the  Gulf  Stream. 

Physical  Geography  of  the  Sea.  Maury. 

4.  More  potent  far  may  be  the  look, 
Through  which  the  soul  to  soul  conveys 
The  subtler  thought  with  import  clear, 

Than  spoken  words, 
Which  different  meanings  may  express. 


144  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

5.  There  is  no  more  interesting  spectacle  than  to  see  the 
effects  of  wit  upon  the  different  characters  of  men  ;  than  to 
observe  it  expanding  caution,  relaxing  dignity,  unfreezing 
coldness,  teaching  age  and  care  and  pain  to  smile, — extort- 
ing reluctant  gleams  of  pleasure  from  melancholy,  and 
charming  even  the  pangs  of  grief.  It  is  pleasant  to  observe 
how  it  penetrates  through  the  coldness  and  awkwardness  of 
society,  gradually  bringing  men  nearer  together,  and,  like 
the  combined  force  of  wine  and  oil,  giving  every  man  a  glad 
heart  and  a  shining  countenance.  Genuine  and  innocent 
wit  like  this  is  surely  the  flavor  of  the  mind.  Man  could 
direct  his  ways  by  plain  reason,  and  support  his  life  by 
tasteless  food  ;  but  God  has  given  us  wit,  and  flavor,  and 
laughter,  and  perfumes,  to  enliven  the  days  of  man's  pil- 
grimage, and  to  "  charm  his  painful  steps  over  the  burning 
marie." 

Sydney  Smith. 

HIGH  : — 

1.  Ring  out,  wild  bells,  to  the  wild  .sky, 

The  flying  cloud,  the  frosty  light ; 
The  year  is  dying  in  the  night, 
Ring  out,  wild  bells,  and  let  him  die. 

Ring  out  the  old,  ring  in  the  new, 
Ring,  happy  bells,  across  the  snow  ; 
The  year  is  going,  let  him  go  ; 

Ring  out  the  false,  ring  in  the  true. 

In  Memoriam.  Tennyson. 

2.  Bring  flowers,  young  flowers,  for  the  festal  board, 
To  wreathe  the  cup  ere  the  wine  is  poured  ! 

Bring  flowers,  they  are  springing  in  wood  and  vale  ; 
Their  breath  floats  out  on  the  southern  gale, 
And  the  touch  of  the  sunbeam  hath  waked  the  rose 
To  deck  the  hall  where  the  bright  wine  flows. 

Bring  Flowers.  Mrs.  Hemans. 


PITCH.  145 

3.  News  of  battle  !  news  of  battle  ! 

Hark  !  'tis  ringing  down  the  street ; 
And  the  archways  and  the  pavements 

Bear  the  clang  of  hurrying  feet. 
News  of  battle  !     Who  hath  brought  it  ? 

All  are  thronging  to  the  gate  ; 
"  Warder, — warder  !  open  quickly  ! 

Man, — is  this  a  time  to  wait? " 

Flodden  Field.  Aytoun. 

4.  Hold  !  for  your  lives !     .     .     . 

Why,  how  now,  ho  I  from  whence  ariseth  this  ? 

Othello,  Act  .  //.,   Sc.  3.  Shakespeare. 

VERY  HIGH  : — 

1.  Boat,  ahoy!     Boat,  ahoy!     Boat,  ahoy  ! 

2.  Bursts  the  storm  on  Phocis'  walls  ! 
Rise  ! — or  Greece  forever  falls. 

3.  Up  draw-bridge,  grooms  !  what,  warder,  ho  ! 

Let  the  portcullis  fall. 

Marmion,  Canto  VI.  Scott. 

4.  The  Rhine  !  the  Rhine  !  our  own  imperial  river  ! 

Be  glory  on  thy  track  ! 
We  left  thy  shores  to  die  or  to  deliver — 

We  bring  thee  freedom  back  ! 
Go  tell  the  seas,  that  chain  shall  bind  thee  never  ! 

Sound  on  by  hearth  and  shrine  ! 
Sing  through  the  hills  that  thou  art  free  forever — 

Lift  up  thy  voice,  O  Rhine  ! 

The  Rhine  Song.  Mrs.  Hemans* 

Low  : — 

i.  'Tis  midnight's  holy  hour, — and  silence  now 
Is  brooding  like  a  gentle  spirit  o'er 
The  still  and  pulseless  world.     Hark  !  on  the  winds 
The  bell's  deep  tones  are  swelling, — 'tis  the  knell 
Of  the  departed  year. 

The  Closing  Year.  Geo.  D.  Prentice. 

10 


146  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

2.  Bring  flowers,  pale  flowers,  o'er  the  bier  to  shed, 
A  crown  for  the  brow  of  the  early  dead  ! 

For  this,  through  its  leaves,  hath  the  white  rose  burst, 
For  this,  in  the  woods,  was  the  violet  nursed. 
Though  they  smile  in  vain  for  what  once  was  ours, 
They. are  love's  last  gift.     Bring  flowers,  pale  flowers  ! 

Bring  Flowers.  Mrs.  Hemans. 

3.  To-morrow,  and  to-morrow,  and  to-morrow, 
Creeps  in  this  petty  pace  from  day  to  day, 
To  the  last  syllable  of  recorded  time  ; 

And  all  our  yesterdays  have  lighted  fools 

The  way  to  dusty  death.     Out,  out,  brief  candle  ! 

Life's  but  a  walking  shadow ;  a  poor  player, 

That  struts  and  frets  his  hour  upon  the  stage, 

And  then  is  heard  no  more :  it  is  a  tale 

Told  by  an  idiot,  full  of  sound  and  fury, 

Signifying  nothing. 

Macbeth,  Act  V.,  Sc.  5.  Shakespeare. 

4.  Hush  !  the  Dead  March  wails  in  the  people's  ears  : 
The  dark  crowd  moves,  and  there  are  sobs  and  tears  ; 
The  black  earth  yawns  ;  the  mortal  disappears  ; 
Ashes  to  ashes  !  dust  to  dust  ! 

Funeral  of  Wellington.  Tennyson, 

VERY  Low  : — 

i.      Night,  sable  goddess,  from  her  ebon  throne, 
In  rayless  majesty,  now  stretches  forth 
Her  leaden  scepter  o'er  a  slumbering  world. 
Silence,  how  dead  !  and  darkness  how  profound  ! 
Nor  eye,  nor  listening  ear,  an  object  finds  ; 
Creation  sleeps.     'Tis  as  the  general  pulse 
Of  life  stood  still,  and  Nature  made  a  pause, 
An  awful  pause,  prophetic  of  her  end. 

Night  Thoughts.  Young. 


PITCH.  147 

2.  Now  o'er  the  one  half  world 
Nature  seems  dead  ;  and  wicked  dreams  abuse 
The  curtained  sleep  :  now  witchcraft  celebrates 
Pale  Hecate's  offerings  ;  and  withered  murder, 
Alarumed  by  his*  sentinel,  the  wolf, 

Whose  howl's  his  watch,  thus  with  his  stealthy  pace, 
With  Tarquin's  ravishing  strides  towards  his  design 
Moves  like  a  ghost. — Thou  sure  and  firm-set  earth  ! 
Hear  not  my  steps,  which  way  they  walk,  for  fear 
The  very  stones  prate  of  my  whereabout, 
And  take  the  present  horror  from  the  time, 
Which  now  suits  with  it. 

Macbeth,  Act  II. ,  Sc.  i.  Shakespeare. 

3.  Thou  breathest, — and  the  obedient  storm  is  still ; 

Thou  speakest, — silent,  the  submissive  wave  : 
Man's  shattered  ship  the  rushing  waters  fill, 

And  the  hushed  billows  roll  across  his  grave. 
Sourceless  and  endless  God  !  compared  with  Thee, 

Life  is  a  shadowy,  momentary  dream, 
And  time,  when  viewed  through  Thy  eternity, 

Less  than  the  mote  of  morning's  golden  beam. 

4.  Eternity  ! — thou  pleasing,  dreadful  thought  ! 
Through  what  variety  of  untried  being, 

Through  what  new  scenes  and  changes  must  we  pass  ! 
The  wide,  th'  unbounded  prospect  lies  before  me  ; 
But  shadows,  clouds,  and  darkness  rest  upon  it. 

Addison. 

5.  How  it  roars,  roars,  roars, 

In  the  iron  under-caverns, 

In  the  hollows  of  the  shores  ; 
How  it  roars  anew  and  thunders 
As  the  strong  hull  splits  and  sunders, 

And  the  spent  ship,  tempest-driven, 

On  reef  lies  rent  and  riven — 
How  it  roars  ! 

The  Song  of  the  Sea   Wind.  Austin  Dobson. 


PROPERTY  OF 
DEPARTMENT  OF  DRAMATIC  ART 


FORCE. 

FORCE  relates  to  the  degree  of  energy,  not  to  the 
manner  of  applying  it ;  the  latter  is  the  province  of 
STRESS,  under  which  head  the  principal  examples  will 
be  given. 

The  degrees  of  force  are  subdued,  moderate,  energetic, 
rmri  $\<\\kimmit.  These  include  the  intermediate  de- 
grees. 

LOUD  AND  ABRUPT  FORCE  : — 

i.  Dost  thou  come  here  to  whine  ? 

To  outface  me  by  leaping  in  her  grave  ? 
Be  buried  quick  with  her,  and  so  will  I  ; 
And,  if  thou  prate  of  mountains,  let  them 
Throw  millions  of  acres  on  us,  till  our  ground, 
Singeing  his  pate  against  the  burning  zone, 
Make  Ossa  like  a  wart  !    Nay,  an  thou'lt  mouth, 
I'll  rant  as  well  as  thou* 

Hamlet,  Act.  V.,  Sc.  i.  Shakespeare. 

SMOOTH  AND  SUBDUED  FORCE  : — 

i.  Leaves  have  their  time  to  fall, 

And  flowers  to  wither  at  the  north  wind's  breath, 

And  stars  to  set ; — but  all, 
Thou  hast  all  seasons  for  thine  own,  O  Death  ! 

We  know  when  moons  shall  wane, 
When  summer  birds  from  far  shall  cross  the  sea, 

When  autumn's  hue  shall  tinge  the  golden  grain  ; 
But  who  shall  teach  us  when  to  look  for  thee  ? 

The  Hour  of  Death .  Mrs.  Hemans. 


FORCE.  149 

IN  SUSTAINED  FORCE, 

The  energy  is  kept  up,  or  sustained,  throughout  the 
entire  sentence  or  paragraph.  The  examples  under 
Thorough  Stress  will  be  found  good  practice  in  sus- 
tained force. 

Force  is  the  principal  element  in  Emphasis.     And 
since  emphasis  is  so  important  a  factor  in  the  expres- 
sion of  thought  and  feeling,  it  will  be  best,  before  pro*      *  i  *7 
ceeding  further,  to  give  the  following  : 

GENERAL  RULES  FOR  EMPHASIS  : — 

^ 
I.  NEW  and  SIGNIFICANT  ideas  should  be  emphasized. 

II.  CONTRASTED  ideas  should  be  emphasized. 

The  rules  of  elocution,  as  of  all  arts,  are  to  be  taken 
with  allowance.  They  are  honored  with  many  excep- 
tions. Hence,  they  are  to  be  used  as  general,  not 
special  or  absolute  guides. 

EXAMPLES  UNDER  FIRST  RULE  : — 

1.  If  Mr.  A.  is  pronounced  a  religious  man,  the   Cynic 
will  reply: — "  Yes,  on   Sundays."     Mr.   B.  has  just  joined 
the    church: — "Certainly,    the    elections   are    coming   on." 
The  minister  of  the  gospel  is  called   an    example  of  dili- 
gence : — "  It  is  his  trade."     Such  a  man  is  generous  : — "  Of 
other  men's  money."    This  man  is  obliging  : — "  To  lull  sus- 
picion and  cheat  you."     That  man  is  upright: — "Because 
he  is  green." 

The  Cynic.  H.  W.  Beecher. 

2.  The  peasant,  whose  lot  was  to  sow  and  to  reap, 

The  herdsman,  who  climbed  with   his   goats  up  the 

steep. 

The  beggar,  who  wandered  in  search  of  his  bread, 
Have  faded  away  like  the  grass  that  we  tread. 


150  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

The  saint,  who  enjoyed  the  communion  of  Heaven, 
The  sinner,  who  dared  to  remain  unforgiven, 
The  wise  and  thefootis/i,  the  guilty  and /#.$•/, 
Have  quietly  mingled  their  bones  with  the  dust. 

They  loved,  but  the  story  we  cannot  unfold  ; 
They  scorned,  but  the  heart  of  the  haughty  is  cold  ; 
They  grieved,  but   no   wail   from    their  slumbers  will 

come  ; 
They  joyed,  the  tongue  of  their  gladness  is  dumb. 

O  Why  Should  the  Spirit^  etc.  William  Knox. 

3.  I'm  thinking  just  now  of  Nobody, 

And  all  that  Nobody's  done, 
For  I've  a  passion  for  Nobody, 

That  nobody  else  would  own  ; 
1  bear  the  name  of  Nobody, 

For  from  Nobody  I  sprung ; 
And  I  sing  the  praise  of  Nobody, 

As  nobody  mine  has  sung. 

Nobody 's  Song. 

EXAMPLES  UNDER  SECOND  RULE  : — 

1.  Who  dotes,  yet  doubts ;  suspects,  yet  strongly  loves. 

2.  Each  morning  sees  some  task  begin, 

Each  evening  sees  it  close. 

The  Village  Blacksmith,  Longfellow. 

3.  Yea  !  hope  and  despondency,  pleasure  &&&  pain, 
We  mingle  together  in  sunshine  and  rain  ; 

And  the  smiles  and  the  tears,  the  song  and  the  dirge, 
Still  follow  each  other  like  surge  upon  surge. 

William  Knox. 

4.  I  will  exert  my  endeavors,  at  whatever  hazard,  to  repel 
the  aggressor,  and  drag  the  thief  to  justice — what  power 
soever  may  protect  the  villainy,  and  whoever  may  partake 
of  the  plunder. 

Wm.  Pitt. 


STRESS.  151 

MISCELLANEOUS  : — 

f .  The  Cynic  is  one  who  never  sees  a  good  quality  in  a 
man,  and  never  fails  to  see  a  bad  one.  He  is  the  human 
owl,  vigilant  in  darkness  and  blind  to  light, — mousing  for 
vermin,  and  never  seeing  noble  game. 

The  Cynic.  H.   W.  Beecher. 

2.  The  meaning  of  an  extraordinary  man  is,  that  he  is 
eight  men,  not  one  man.     That  he  has  as  much  wit  as  if  he 
had  no  sense,  and  as  much  sense  as  if  he  had  no  wit.    That 
his  conduct  is  as  judicious  as  if  he  were  the  dullest  of  hu- 
man beings,  and  his  imagination  as  brilliant  as  if  he  were 
irretrievably  ruined. 

Sydney  Smith. 

3.  Good -by  to  Flattery's  fawning  face  ; 
To  Grandeur  with  his  wise  grimace  ; 
To  upstart  Wealth's  averted  eye  ; 

To  supple  Office,  low  and  high  ; 
To  crowded  halls,  to  court  and  street ; 
To  frozen  hearts,  and  hasting  feet ; 
To  those  who  go  and  those  who  come  ; 
Good-by,  proud  world,  I'm  going  home. 

Good-by.  Emerson. 

STRESS. 

Stress  always  falls  upon  the  accented  syllable  of  em- 
phatic words. 

When  the  greatest  energy  of  voice  is  applied  to  the 
first  part  of  the  sound,  it  is  called  Radical  Stress  (from 
radix,  root)  :  to  the  middle,  the  Median  Stress  :  to  the 
end,  or  terminus  of  the  sound/  the  Terminal  Stress. 
While,  practically,  the  different  stresses  gradually 
shade  into  each  other,  yet  for  purposes  of  explanation 
and  practice  they  are  treated  as  distinct. 


152  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

MONOTONE  : —  o 

In  Music,  the  monotone  means  a  tone  in  which  the 
pitch  and  force  remain  the  same  from  commencement 
to  close. 

In  Elocution,  it  is  to  be  taken  in  a  modified  sense  ; 
the  pitch  and  force  varying — but  slightly. 

The  Monotone  predominates  in  solemnity  ;  and  is 
employed  to  a  limited  degree  in  kindred  emotions, 
such  as  awe,  adoration,  and  sublimity. 

Low  pitch  and  slow  time  prevail  in  passages  requir- 
ing the  Monotone. 

1.  Toll  !  toll  !  toll  ! 

Thou  bell  by  billows  swung. 

2.  When  thoughts 

Of  the  last  bitter  hour  come  like  a  blight 

Over  thy  spirit,  and  sad  images 

Of  the  stern  agony,  and  shroud  and  pall, 

And  breathless  darkness,  and  the  narrow  house, 

Make  thee  shudder,  and  grow  sick  at  heart, — 

Go  forth  under  the  open  sky,  and  list 

To  Nature's  teachings. 

Thanatopsis.  Bryant. 

3.  The  curfew  tolls  the  knell  of  parting  day  ; 

The  lowing  herd  winds  slowly  o'er  the  lea  ; 
The  plowman  homeward  plods  his  weary  way, 
And  leaves  the  world  to  darkness  and  to  me. 

Elegy.  Gray. 

4.  Thou  shalt  not  bear  false  witness— and  thou  hast ! 
Thou  shalt  not  break  thine  oath — and  thou  hast  !     Thou 
shalt  not  steal — and  thou  hast  stolen  my  heart !    Thou  shalt 
do  no  murder — and  thou  hast  killed  my  virgin  love  ! 

Debar. .*//,  Act  77.,  Sc.  3.  Tr.  by  C.  S.  Cheltnam. 


STRESS.  153 

5.  I  am  thy  father's  spirit : 

Doomed  for  a  certain  term  to  walk  the  night, 
And  for  the  clay  confined  to  fast  in  fires, 
Till  the  foul  crimes  done  in  my  days  of  nature 
Are  burnt  and  purged  away. 

Hamlet,  Act  I.,  Sc.  5.  Skakespeare. 

MEDIAN  STRESS  :- 

In  the  Median  stress,  the  tone  is  gradually  increased 
to  the  middle,  and  as  gradually  diminished  into  silence. 
As  employed  in  Elocution,  the  greatest  force  is  nearer 
the  close. 

This  is  the  stress  of  sorrow.  It  is  also  used  in  joy 
and  grief,  if  the  joy  be  not  too  ecstatic  nor  the  grief  too 
poignant.  It  is  also  employed  to  a  limited  degree 
in  the  expression  of  sentiments  of  tenderness,  and  in 
pleasantry.  In  this  form,  it  gives  a  rhythmical  or  un- 
dulating movement  to  the  modulation. 

Middle  and  low  pitch,  and  generally  slow  time,  ac- 
company the  median  stress. 

We  have  an  exceptional  use  of  this  stress  in  revenge, 
in  which  the  guttural  quality  of  voice  is  employed. 

1.  Cold  is  thy  brow,  my  son,  and  I  am  chill, 
As  to  my  bosom  I  have  tried  to  press  thee  ! 

J)avicTs  Lament  over  Absalom.  Willis. 

2.  O  the  long  and  dreary  winter ! 
O  the  cold  and  cruel  winter ! 

*          *          #•*          -x-          *•          #          * 
O  the  famine  and  the  fever  ! 
O  the  wasting  of  the  famine  ! 
O  the  blasting  of  the  fever ! 

Hiawatha.  Longfellow. 

3.  Farewell,  a  long  farewell  to  all  my  greatness  ! 


154  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

4.  AH  !  why  will  kings  forget  that  they  are  men  ! 
And  men,  that  they  are  brethren  ! 

5.  OH,  my  so^t^sjoy  ! 

If  after  every  tempest  come  such  calms, 

May  the  winds  blow  till  they  have  wakened  death. 

Othello,  Act  //.,  Sc    i.  Shakespeare. 

6.  Oh,  soldier  !  how  sweetly  sounds  thy  lady's  lute  !  ho\v 
fragrant  are  the  dew-sprinkled  flowers  that  twine  round  the 
casement   from  which  she  leans  !     That  lute  shall  enchant 
thee,  those  flowers  shall  delight  thee — no  more  ! 

The  Dying  Knight. 

7.  Oh,  young  Lochinvar  is  come. out  of  the  west  ; 
Through  all  the  wide  border  his  steed  was  the  best ; 
And  save  his  good  broadsword  he  weapons  had  none  ; 
He  rode  all  unarmed,  and  he  rode  all  alone. 

Marmion,  Canto  V.  Scott- 

8.  O  the  magnanimity  of  Rome  ! 
INTERMITTENT.  STRESS: — o-vx-vx-vx-^x-^ — 

The  Intermittent  Stress  is  a  trembling  of  the  voice 
caused  by  intense  feeling.  In  music,  it  is  known  as  the 
"  tremor  "  and  the  "  tremolo."  It  is  used  in  the  expres- 
sion of  grief,  pity,  weakness,  tenderness,  ecstasy,  exulta- 
tion, and  in  excessive  degrees  of  malignant  passions. 

Although  the  Intermittent  Stress  is  employed  in  con- 
junction with  all  the  stresses,  it  is  generally  used  in 
combination  with  the  Median.  It  intensifies  vocal  ex- 
pression when  it  is  incited  by  the  emotions  employing 
it.  It  should  not  be  produced  mechanically,  except  as 
a  vocal  drill,  and  even  then  it  is  best  that  the  glottic 
action  be  prompted  by  at  least  simulated  feeling. 

In  the  expression  of  all  the  emotions  and  passions  of 


STRESS.  155 

the  mind,  it  is  better  to  allow  the  organs  of  speech 
to  be  controlled  by  the  feelings,  rather  than  by  the  will. 

1.  Ah  !  life  is  a  journey  of  wearisome  hours, 

That  the  rose  of  enjoyment  but  seldom  adorns  ; 
And  the  heart  that  is  soonest  awake  to  the  flowers 
Is  always  the  first  to  be  touched  by  the  thorns. 

O  Think  not  my  Spirits.  Moore. 

2.  Pity  the  sorrows  of  a  poor  old  man, 

Whose  trembling   limbs    have   borne    him   to   your 

door, 

Whose  days  are  dwindled  to  the  shortest  span  ; 
Oh  !  give  relief,  and  Heav'n  will  bless  your  store. 

The  Beggar.  Thos.  Moss. 

3.  Dear  master,  I  can  go  no  further :  O,  I  die  for  food  ! 
Here  lie  I  down,  and  measure  out  my  grave.    Farewell,  kind 
master.  JJL 

As  You  Like  It,  Act  //.,  Sc.  6.  ™  Shakespeare. 

4.  "  Oh,  master,  make  my  father  free  !  "- 
"  Him  and  thyself,  my  noble  boy  !  " 

Warmly  the  painter  cried. 

The  Painter  of  Seville.  Susan  Wilson. 

5.  "  Why  wouldst  thou  leave  me,  O  gentle  child  ? 

Thy  home  on  the  mountain  is  bleak  and  wild." 
"  O  green  is  the  turf  where  my  brothers  play 
Through  the  long,  bright  hours  of  the  summer  day  ; 
They  find  the  red  cup-moss  where  they  climb, 
And  they  chase  the  bee  o'er  the  scented  thyme, 
And  the   rocks  where  the  heath-flower  blooms  they 

know — 
Lady,  kind  lady,  oh,  let  me  go  ! " 

The  Adopted  Child.  Mrs.  Hemans. 

6.  O  the  banks  of  the  Lee,  the  banks  of  the  Lee, 
And  love  in  a  cottage  for  Mary  and  me  ! 

I  know  not  how  love  is  happy  elsewhere, 
I  know  not  how  any  but  lovers  are  there. 

Banks  </  the  Lee.  Burns. 


156  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

7.  Farewell  the  tranquil  mind  !  farewell  content  \ 
Farewell  the  plumed  troop,  and  the  big  wars, 
That  make  ambition  virtue  !     Oh,  farewell  ! 

Othello,  Act  III.,  Sc.  3.  Shakespeare 

8.  The  game's  afoot ; 
Follow  your  spirit :  and,  upon  this  charge, 

Cry — God  for  Harry  !  England  !  and  St.  George  ! 

Henry  V.,  Act  III.,  Sc.  i.  Id. 

9.  Oh  !  this  spleen  swells  upwards  to  my  heart, 

And  heaves  for  passage  !     Down,  thou  climbing  rage, 
Thy  element's  below.     Where  is  this  daughter  ? 

King  Lear,  Act  II.,  Sc.  4.  Id. 

10.  Happy  !     Very,  very  happy  ! 

You  see  I  weep,  I  am  so  happy  !     Tears 
Are  signs,  you  know,  of  naught  but  happiness  ! 
When  first  I  saw  you,  little  did  I  look 
To  be  so  happy  ! Clifford  ! 

The  Hunchback,  Act  IV.,  Sc.  2.  J.  Sheridan  Knowles. 

11.  Oh,  if  I  only  could  make  you  see 

The  clear  blue  eyes,  the  tender  smile, 
The  sovereign  sweetness,  the  gentle  grace, 
The  woman's  soul,  and  the  angel's  face 

That  are  beaming  on  me  all  the  while, 
I  need  not  speak  these  foolish  words  : 

Yet  one  word  tells  you  all  I  would  say, — 
She  is  my  mother  :  You  will  agree 

That  all  the  rest  may  be  thrown  away. 

An  Order  for  a  Picture.  Alice  Gary. 

EXPULSIVE  RADICAL  STRESS. — A.( 

In  this  the  voice  is  pushed  out  on  the  "  radical  "  or 
first  part  of  the  emphatic  element.  This  stress  is  em- 
ployed in  strong  affirmation,  dignified  oration,  in  com- 
mand, etc.  The  voice  takes  the  falling  slides  in  this 
and  in  the  Explosive  Radical  Stress. 


STRESS.  157 

In  the  practice  of  the  following  examples,  the  student 
should  LET  THE  VOICE  OUT  FREELY  upon  the  emphatic 
words,  and  in  a  full,  pure,  and  resonant  tone, — neither 
checking  the  sound  nor  cramping  the  throat.  The  same 
directions  should  be  observed  in  the  practice  under  all 
the  stresses  which  follow. 

1.  Arm!  warriors,  ARM!  for  the  fight. 

2.  This  is  my  OWN,  my  native  land ! 

3.  Forth  he  came  with  a  martial  tread, 
Firm  was  his  step,  erect  his  head. 

Victor  Galbraith.  Longfellow. 

4.  What  was   Cczsar,  that  stood  upon  the   bank  of  that 
stream  ?     A  traitor,  bringing  war  and  pestilence  into  the 
heart  of  that  country. 

Knoivles. 

5.  Cowards  die  many  times  before  their  deaths, 
The  valiant  never  taste  of  death  but  once  ! 

6.  Rise,  fathers,  RISE  !  'tis  Rome  demands  your  help  ; 
Rise,  and    avenge  her  slaughtered  citizens, 

Or  share  their  fate  ! 

Cato.  Addison. 

7.  O  you  hard  hearts,  you  cruel  men  of  Rome  ! 
Knew  ye  not  Pompey  ? 

Julius  Ccesar,  Act  I.,  Sc.  i.  Shakespeare. 

8.  And  do  we  owe  all  this  to  the  succor  of  the  mother 
country  ?      No  !    we   owe  it  to  the  tyranny  that  drove  us 
from  her,  to  the  pelting  storms  that  invigorated  our  helpless 
infancy. 

Otis. 

9.  Rise  !  RISE  !  ye  wild  tempests,  and  cover  his  flight. 

Lochiefs  Warning.  Campbell. 

10.  Lay  the  proud  usurper  low ! 
Tyrants  fall  in  every  foe  ! 
Liberty  's  in  every  blow  ! 

Forward  !  let  us  do  or  die ! 

Bruce* s  Address.  Burns. 


158  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

11.  BLOW  ON  !   This  is  the  land  of  LIBERTY  ! 

William  Tell.  Knowles. 

12.  On,  on  to  Rome  we  come  !      The  gladiators  come  ! 
Let  Opulence  tremble  in  all   his  palaces  !     Let  Oppression 
shudder  to  think  the  oppressed  may  have  their  turn  !     Let 
Cruelty  turn  pale  at  thought  of  redder  hands  than  his  !     O  ! 
we  shall  not  forget  Rome's  many  lessons.     She  shall  not  find 
her  training  was  all  wasted  upon  indocile  pupils.     Now  be- 
gone !     Prepare  the  Eternal  City  for  our  games  ! 

Spartacus  to  the  Roman  Envoys. 

EXPLOSIVE  RADICAL  STRESS. — A.  I 

This  stress,  as  the  name  indicates,  is  an  abrupt  at- 
tack of  the  voice  on  the  first  part  of  the  vocal  element 
in  emphatic  words,  the  sound  usually  diminishing  to 
the  close.  The  emphatic  syllable  is  not  prolonged, 
however,  when  the  vowel  element  is  a  short  vocal,  or  a 
long  vocal  shortened  to  give  greater  intensity  to  ex- 
pression. 

This  form  of  the  radical  or  abrupt  stress  is  employed 
in  very  impassioned  utterance — particularly  in  the  ex- 
pression of  anger  and  scorn. 

In  the  extreme  use  of  this  stress,  as  also  in  the  two 
stresses  which  follow,  the  student  should  be  careful  to 
control  his  voice  in  accordance  with  the  directions 
given  in  Voice  Culture  (p.  62),  or  a  straining  of  the 
throat  may  ensue. 

1.  Go,  call  the  people  !  OBEY  !  I  charge  thee. 

2.  "O,  haste  thee,  haste  !  "  the  lady  cries,  "  though  tem- 

pests round  us  gather, 

I'll  meet    the  raging    of  the    skies,  but  not  an  angry 
father." 

Lord  Ullan's  Datighter.  Campbell 


STRESS.  159 

3.  Behold  !  these  are  the  tribunes  of  the  people, 

The  TONGUES  of  the  common   mouth.     I  do  DESPISE 
them  ! 

Coriolanus,  Act  III,,  Sc.  i.  Shakespeare. 

4.  As  a  Roman,  here  in  your  very  capital 
I  do  DEFY  you  ! 

Regulus  to  the  Carthaginians.  R.  Kellogg. 

5.  Avaunt !  BEGONE  !  thou'st  set  me  on  the  rack. 

Othello,  Act  III.,  Sc.  3.  Shakespeare. 

6.  "  Try  not  the  pass  !  "  the  old  man  said, 
"  Dark  lowers  the  tempest  overhead  ; 

The  roaring  torrent  is  deep  and  wide ! " 
And  loud  that  clarion  voice  replied, 
"Excelsior." 

Excelsior.  Longfellow. 

7.  Unmannered  dog  !  stand  thou,  when  I  command  ! 
Advance  thy  halberd  higher  than  thy  breast, 

Or,  by  St.  Paul,  I'll  strike  thee  to  my  foot, 
And  spurn  upon  thee,  beggar,  for  thy  boldness. 

Richard  III.,  Act  I.,  Sc.  2.  Shakespeare. 

8.  I  loathe  you  with  my  bosom  ! 

I  scorn  you  with  mine  eye  ! 
And  I'll  taunt  you  with  my  latest  breath, 
And  fight  you  till  I  die  ! 

Sentineled  Defiance.  G.  W.  Patten. 

9.  Now  set  the  teeth,  and  stretch  the  nostril  wide  ; 
Hold  hard  the  breath,  and  bend  up  every  spirit 
To  his  full  height  ! 

Henry  V.,  Act  III.,  Sc.  i.  Shakespeare. 

10.  Hence,  horrible  shadow  !  unreal  mockery,  HENCE  ! 

Macbeth,  Act  III.,  Sc.  4.  Id. 

11.  You  common  cry  of  curs  !  whose  breath  I  hate 
As  reek  o'  the  rotten  fens, — whose  loves  I  prize 
As  the  dead  carcasses  of  unburied  men, 

That  do  corrupt  my  air, — /  banish  you! 

Coriolanus,  Act  HI.,  Sc.  3.  Id, 


l6o  VOICE  CULTURE  AND  ELOCUTION. 

TERMINAL  STRESS.  —  A. 

The  Terminal  Stress  is  the  reverse  of  the  Explosive 
Radical.  As  its  name  implies,  the  greatest  energy  is 
upon  the  terminus  of  the  emphatic  element.  It  is  em- 
ployed in  emotions  of  surprise,  fright,  peevishness,  and 
impatience. 


i  .  WHAT  !     Is  it 

2.  AH  !  —  Mercy  on  my   soul  !     What  is   that  ?     My  old 
friend's  GHOST  ? 

Moliere. 

3.  /an  itching  PALM  ? 
You  know  that  you  are  Brutus  that  speak  this, 
Or,  by  the  gods  !  this  speech  were  else  your  last. 

Julius  Ccesar,  Act  IV.,  Sc.  3.  Shakespeare. 

4.  OUT  of  my  sight  !     I  despise  thee. 

5.  Why,  look  you,  I  am  whipped  and  scourged  with  rods, 
Nettled,  and  stung  with  pismires,  when  I  hear 

Of  this  vile  politician  Bolingbroke  ! 

K.  Henry  IV.,  Pt.  I.,  Act  I.,  Sc.  3.  Shakespeare. 

6.  I'll  have  my  bond  ;  I  will  not  hear  thee  speak  : 
I'll  have  my  bond  ;  and  therefore  speak  no  more. 
I'll  not  be  made  a  soft  and  dull-eyed  fool, 

To  shake  the  head,  relent,  and  sigh,  and  yield 
To  Christian  intercessors.     Follow  not  ; 
I'll  have  no  speaking;  1  will  have  my  bond. 

Merchant  of  Venice,  Act  III.,  Sc.  3.  Id. 

COMPOUND  STRESS  :— 

This  stress  is  a  union  of  the  Radical  and  Terminal. 
It  is  used  in  extreme  surprise,  sarcasm,  contempt, 
mockery,  impatience,  pain,  hatred,  wrath,  and  revenge. 

This  is  the  most  intense  form  of  "  abrupt  stress," 


STRESS.  l6l 

and  is  often   interchangeable  with  the  two  preceding 
stresses. 

It  is  as  difficult  to  analyze,  as  the  passions  that  em- 
ploy it  are  difficult  to  express.  The  time  is  so  brief 
between  the  "radical  "  and  the  "terminal/'  that  a  little 
lengthening  of  the  tone  is  generally  necessary  to  en- 
able the  ear  to  distinguish  the  separate  impulses  of  the 
voice. 

1.  BACK,  slaves  !  I  will  return  ! 

2.  "  Traitor  !  "    I  go  ;  but  I  return.     This — trial  ! 

Here  I  devote  your  senate  ! 

Catiline.  Crcly. 

3.  O  kill  me  and  put  me  out  of  my  pain  ! 

4.  Gods  !  if  I  could  but  paint  a  dying  groan  ! 

5.  "  Tried  and  convicted  traitor  !  " — WHO  says  this  ? 

Who'll  prove  it  at  his  peril  on  my  head  ? 

Catiline.  Croly. 

6.  And  do  you  now  strew  flowers  in  his  way, 
That  comes  in  triumph  over  Pompey's  blood  ? 

Julius  C&sar,  Act  I.,  Sc.  i.  Shakespeare. 

7.  For  them  ? — I  cannot  do  it  to  the  gods  ; 
Must  I  then  do't  to  THEM  ? 

Coriolamis,  Act  111.,  Sc.  2.  Id. 

8.  "  My  father's  trade  !  Bless  me,  that's  too  bad  ! 
My  father's  trade  ?  Why,  blockhead,  are  you  mad  f 
My  father,  sir,  did  never  stoop  so  low  ; — 

He  was  a  gentleman,  I'd  have  you  know." 

A  Modest  Wit. 

9.  O  ye  gods,  ye  gods  !     Must  I  endure  all  THIS  ? 

Julius  Ccesar,  Act  IV.,  Sc.  3.  Shakespeare. 

10.  Must  I  go  show  them  my  unbarb'd  sconce  f  Must  /, 
With  my  base  tongue, give  to  my  noble  heart 

A  LIE,  that  I  must  bear  ? 

Coriolamis,  Act  ///.,  Sc.  2.  Id, 

II 


162  VOICE   CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

ii.  MEND,  and  CHARGE  HOME! 

Or, by  the  fires  of  heaven,  I'll  leave  the  FOE, 

And  make  my  wars  on  YOU  :  Look  to  it  :  COME  ON ! 

Coriolanus,  Act  /.,  Sc.  4.  Id. 

THOROUGH  STRESS  : — 

This'  stress  is  an  application  of  force  in  which  the 
energy  is  sustained  equally  throughout  the  emphatic 
element,  and  generally  in  a  high  or  a  very  high  pitch. 
It  is  used  in  rapture,  triumph,  command,  shouting,  call- 
ing, etc. 

In  passages  of  Sustained  Force,  of  which  the  fol- 
lowing are  examples,  this  stress  continues  in  a  greater 
or  less  degree  throughout  the  entire  sentence  or  para- 
graph. It  employs  the  higher  pitches  of  voice. 

1.  "Forward,  the  Light  Brigade  ! 

Charge  for  the  guns  !  "  he  said. 

Tennyson. 

2.  Ho  !  sound  the  tocsin  from  the  tower, 

And  fire  the  culverin  ! — 
Bid  each  retainer  arm  with  speed, — 
Call  every  vassal  in  ! 

The  Barents  Last  Banquet.  A.  G.  Greene. 

3.  "  Ring  !  "  he  shouts,  "  Ring  !  grandpapa, 

Ring  !  oh,  ring  for  Liberty  !  " 

Independence  Bell. 

4.  lo  !  they  come,  they  come  !  garlands  for  every  shrine  ! 
Strike  lyres  to  greet  them  home  !  bring  roses,  pour  ye 

wine  ! 

Swell,  swell  the  Dorian  flute,  through  the  blue,  trium- 
phant sky  ! 

Let  the  Cittern's  tone  salute  the  song  of  victory. 

With  the  offering  of  bright  blood,  they  have  ransomed 
hearth  and  tomb, 

Vineyard,  and  field,  and  flood  ; — lo  !  they  come,  they 
come  ! 

Greek  Chant  of  Victory.  Mrs.  Hetnans. 


STRESS.  163 

5.  To  the  rock  ;  to  the  rock  with  him  ! 

6.  A  voice  came  down  the  wild  wind, — 

"  Ho  !  ship  ahoy  !  "  its  cry  : 
"  Our  stout  '  Three  Bells  of  Glasgow  * 
Shall  stand  till  daylight  by  !  "  . 

The  Three  Bells.  Whittier. 

7.  The  sea,  the  sea  ! — the  open  sea  ! 
The  blue,  the  fresh,  the  ever  free  ! 
Without  a  mark,  without  a  bound, 

It  runneth  the  earth's  wide  regions  round  ! 

The  Sea.  Bryan  W.  Procter. 

8.  "  Jump  !  far  out,  boy,  into  the  wave, 

Jump,  or  I  fire  !  "  he  said  ; 
"  This  chance  alone  your  life  can  save, 
Jump  !  jump  !  "     The  boy  obeyed. 

Leap  for  Life.  George  P.  Morris. 

9.  Let  every  Highland  glen 
Send  our  shout  back  again, 

"  Roderigh  Vich  Alpine  clhu,  ho  !  ieroe  \  " 

Lady  of  the  Lake,  Canto  II.  Scott. 

LAUGHTER  : — 

Laughter  employs  the  abrupt  stresses.  It  Is  as  capa- 
ble of  development  and  culture  as  the  other  means  of 
expression.  Not  only  may  individual  laughter  be  en- 
couraged and  improved,  but  through  practice  differ- 
ent kinds  may  be  learned  for  purposes  of  personation. 
Laughter — earnest,  hearty  laughter — is  a  health-pro- 
moting exercise,  and  one  of  the  best  means  for  strength- 
ening the  lungs. 

As  a  preparatory  practice,  review  the  exercise  called 
the  "glottis  stroke  "  in  the  chapter  on  Voice  Culture. 

A  tabulated  arrangement  of   the  different  kinds  of 


164  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

laughter  is  given  below,  and  may  be  practiced  as  fol- 
lows : 

First,  simply  as  a  vocal  drill,  then  with  full  expres- 
sion of  hearty  laughter.  The  long  vowel,  represent- 
ing the  drawl  or  vocal  rest  in  hearty  laughter,  should 
be  prolonged  obscurely,  and  the  syllable  repeated  six 
or  more  times  in  quick  succession,  as  shown  in  the 
table  below. 

TABLE  VII. 


I. 

e 

hi 

hi 

hi 

hi 

hi 

hi   ! 

2. 

a 

he 

he 

he 

he 

he 

he  ! 

3- 

a 

ha 

ha 

h& 

ha 

ha 

ha  ! 

4. 

a 

ha 

ha 

ha 

ha 

ha 

ha  ! 

5- 

a 

ho 

ho 

ho 

ho 

ho 

ho! 

6. 

6 

hu 

hu 

hu 

hu 

hu 

hu! 

7- 

Q 

ho 

ho 

ho 

ho 

no 

ho! 

No.  i,  in  the  above  table,  represents  the  "giggle." 
The  syllables  in  this  laughter  should  be  given  in  a  high 
pitch  and  in  a  light  quality  of  voice. 

Nos.  2,  3,  4,  and  6  may  be  called  models,  of  which 
No.  4  is  especially  open  and  hearty. 

No.  5  represents  a  coarse,  uncultured  laugh  that 
is  known  as  the  "  horse  laugh,"  or  boorish  laugh. 

No.  7,  when  given  in  a  close,  contracted,  husky 
voice,  represents  the  laugh  of  the  miser.  When  given 
in  the  aspirated  orotund  quality  and  on  a  low  or  very 
low  pitch,  it  is  the  sepulchral  or  ghostly  laugh. 

Laughter,  however,  depends  largely  upon  the  quality 
of  voice  for  significance  and  expression,  and  it  is  by 
no  means  limited  to  the  above  syllables,  but  it  some- 
times accompanies  the  syllables  and  words  of  an  entire 
sentence. 


STRESS.  165 

The  following  selections  should  be  read  with  the 
animation  and  with  the  expression  of  laughter  which 
the  sense  requires  : 

1.  Sir   Harcourt   fallen   desperately   in   love   with    me  ? 
With  me  !     That  is  delicious  !      Ah  !— ha  !  ha  !  ha  !  I  see 
my  cue.     I'll  cross  his  scent — I'll  draw  him  after  me.     Ho  ! 
ho  !  won't  I  make  love  to  him  ?     Ha  ! — Here  they  come  to 
dinner.     I'll  commence  my  operations  on  the  governor  im- 
mediately.    Ha  !  ha  !  ha  !  how  I  will  enjoy  it  ! 

London  Assurance,  Act  ///.,  Sc.  i.  Boucicault. 

2.  Ye'll  be  now't  but  skeen  and  boans,  if  you  stop  here 
long  eneaf.     Haw  !  haw  !  haw  ! 

Dickens. 

3.  When  lads  and  lasses  merry  be, 

With  possets  and  witH  junkets  fine, 
Unseen  of  all  the  company, 
I  eat  their  cakes  and  sip  their  wine  ! 

And  to  make  sport, 

I  puff  and  snort, 
And  out  the  candles  I  do  blow : 

The  maids  I  kiss, 

They  shriek — Who's  this  ? 
I  answer  naught  but  ho,  ho,  ho  ! 

4.  There's  not  a  hag 
Or  ghost  shall  wag, 

Or  cry,  'ware  goblins  !  where  I  go, 

But  Robin  I 

Their  feats  will  spy, 
And  send  them  home  with  hoo,  hoo,  hoo ! 

Robin  Good  fellow. 

5.  "  What  are   you  looking  at,   Oliver  ?      At  all  those 
handkerchiefs  ? — There    are    a   good    many   of  'em,    ain't 
there  ?     We've  just  looked  'em  out  ready  for  the  wash.     Ho, 
he,  ho  ; — ob,  hoo,  hoo,  hoo  !  " 

The  Miser,  in  Oliver  Twist.  Dickens. 

For  further  practice,  see  "  The  Funny  Story/'  found 
among  the  "  Selections/' 


INFLECTION. 

CHANGES  in  pitch  are  made  in  two  ways,  by  skip  and 
by  slide.  The  former  is  technically  called  the  discrete, 
the  latter  the  concrete  movement  of  the  voice.  The  dis- 
crete predominates  in  Music,  the  concrete  in  Speech. 
In  elocution,  the  slides  of  the  voice  are  called  inflections •, 
and  are  the  principal  means  by  which  the  lights  and 
shades  of  thought  and  feeling  are  expressed. 

The  rising  and  falling  slides  are  capable  of  innum- 
erable combinations. 

The  rising  inflection  appeals,  the  falling  asserts.  The 
rising  defers  to  the  judgment  of  the  person  addressed, 
the  falling  declares  the  judgment  of  the  speaker. 

The  rising  inflection  is  marked  thus  ('),  the  falling 
thus  (').  The  union  of  these  two  gives  the  falling  cir- 
cumflex ;  the  union  of  the  falling  and  the  rising  inflec- 
tions gives  the  rising  circumflex.  The  union  of  the 
falling  circumflex  and  the  rising  circumflex  gives  the 
compound  rising  circumflex  ;  the  union  of  the  rising 
circumflex  and  the  falling  circumflex  gives  the  com- 
pound falling  circumflex. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  the  final  direction  of  the  slide 
determines  the  name  of  the  inflection. 

The  slides  of  voice  vary  in  length  from  a  half-tone 
to  an  octave  or  more,  depending  on  the  degree  of  en- 
ergy. 

The  inflections  of  the  voice  vary  with  every  change 
of  thought  and  emotion,  thus  giving  "  the  lights  and 
shades  "  to  expression  in  reading. 


INFLECTION.  167 

No  absolute  or  infallible  directions  can  be  given  for 
the  employment  of  inflections,  but  the  following  may 
serve  as 

GENERAL  RULES:  — 

I.    POSITIVE  ideas  take  the  falling  slide. 
II.    NEGATIVE  and  CONDITIONAL  ideas  take  the  rising 

slide. 

EXAMPLES  UNDER  FIRST  RULE  : — 

1.  False  Wizard,  a  vaunt'!  I  have  marshaled  my  clan'; 
Their  swords  are  a  thousand',  their  bosoms  are  one"! 

LochieVs  Warning*  Campbell* 

2.  Silence  that  dreadful  bellM  it  frights  the  isle 
From  her  propriety^ 

Othello.  A  ct  II. ,  Sc.  3.  Shakespeare. 

3.  StrikeM  till  the  last  armed  foe  expires  ; 
Strike*!  for  your  altars"  and  your  fires'; 
StrikeM  for  the  green  graves  of  your  sires\ 

God",  and  your  native  land"* 

Marco  Bozzaris.  Halleck* 

4.  Be  just*,  and  fear  not\ 

Let  all  the  ends  thou  aim'st  at  be  thy  country's', 

Thy  GodV,  and  truth's';  then  if  thou  fall'st,  O  Cromwell, 

Thou  fall'st  a  blessed  martyr'. 

Henry  VIII. ,  A  ct  III. ,  Sc.  2 .  Shakesfiea  re. 

EXAMPLES  UNDER  SECOND  RULE  : — 

1.  Not  from  the  grand  old  masters', 

Not  from  the  bards  sublime', 
Whose  distant  footsteps  echo 
Through  the  corridors  of  Time'. 

Day  is  Done.  Longfellow. 

2.  I   have  not  allowed    myself,   sir,  -to  look    beyond    the 
Union,  to  see  what  might  lie  hidden  in  the  dark  recess  be- 


l68  VOICE   CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

hind'.  I  have  not  coolly  weighed  the  chances  of  preserving 
liberty,  when  the  bonds  that  unite  us  together  shall  be  bro- 
ken asunder'.  I  have  not  accustomed  myself  to  hang  over 
the  precipice  of  disunion  to  see  whether,  with  my  short  sight, 
I  can  fathom  the  depths  of  the  abyss  below'  ;  nor  could  I 
regard  him  as  a  safe  counselor  in  the  affairs  of  this  govern- 
ment, whose  thoughts  should  be  mainly  bent  on  considering, 
not  how  the  Union  should  be  preserved',  but  how  tolerable 
might  be  the  condition  of  the  people,  when  it  shall  be  bro- 
ken up  and  destroyed.  Webster. 

3.  If  we  fail,  it  can  be  no  worse  for  us'. 

4.  I  will  wait  for  you  in  the  corridor,  if  you  do  not  stay  too 
long'. 

MISCELLANEOUS  EXAMPLES  : — 

1.  Is  itj/0#,  or  you  ? 

It  is  you,  and  not  you. 

2.  It  is  in  studying  as  in  eating — he  that  does  it  gets  the 
benefit',  and  not  he  that  sees  it  done'. 

3.  Not  that  I  loved  Caesar  less',  but  Rome  more\ 

4.  Not  enjoyment',  and  not  sorrow', 

Is  our  destined  end  or  way', 

But  to  act",  that  each  to-morrow 

Find  us  farther  than  to-day\ 

Psalm  of  Life.  Longfellow* 

5.  Whence  the  wind  blows,  where  the  wind  goes, 
Hither  and  thither  and  whither — who  knows"? 

Who  knows"? 
Hither'  and  thither' — but  whither' — who  knows'? 

Magdalena.  J.  F,  Waller. 


INFLECTION.  169 

6.  Who  was  her  father'? 
Who  was  her  mother'? 
Had  she  a  sister'? 
Had  she  a  brother'? 

Or  was  there  a  dearer  one 
Still,  and  a  nearer  one 
Yet,  than  all  other'? 

Bridge  of  Sighs,  Hood, 

7.  We  ?  Ha!  ha!  you  hear, 

My  liege  !     What  page,  man,  in  the  last  court  grammar 
Made  you  a  plural  ?  Count,  you  have  seized  the  hireling ', — 
Sire,  shall  I  name  the  master'? 

Richelieu,  Act  IV.,  Sc.  i.  Bulwer. 

8.  How  many  waste  their  lives  and  fritter  away  their  man- 
hood and  womanhood  in  the   everlasting  query,  "  What'li 
they  think?"     It  arranges  all  their  household,  fashions  their 
drawing-rooms,  their  feasts,  their  equipage,  their  garments, 
their  sociality,  their  religion,  their  everything  !     Poor  ham- 
pered souls  ! 

Society  abounds  in  such.  Men  are  often  enough  of  the  lot> 
but  women  oftener.  They  have  lost  all  desire  to  be  inde- 
pendent. It  is  how  will  the  Priggses  look  at  it,  that  deter- 
mines them.  They  must  do  just  as  the  Priggses  do.  Out 
upon  the  Priggses  and  all  their  retinue  !  Let  us  have  done 
with  "  What'li  they  think  ?  "  and  bury  it  with  the  corpses  of 
the  bowing,  scraping,  cringing,  and  fawning  of  feudal  days, 
and  universal  slave  ages. 

Wiiafll  They  Think? 

9.  O,  did  you  hear  what  Master  Walter  says  ! 
Nine  times  in  ten  the  town's  a  hollow  thing, 
Where  what  things  are,  is  naught  to  what  they  show; 
Where  merit's  name  laughs  merit's  self  to  scorn  ! 
Where  friendship  and  esteem,  that  ought  to  be 

The  tenants  of  men's  hearts,  lodge  in  their  looks 
And  tongues  alone. 

The  Hunchback,  Act  /.,  Sc.  2.  ?.  Sheridan  Knowles. 


170  VOICE  CULTURE  AND  ELOCUTION. 

CADENCE  : — 

Cadence  is  a  fall  of  the  voice  in  reading  or  speak- 
ing, made  either  by  skip  or  slide,  generally  by  the  latter. 
The  term  is  usually  applied  to  that  descent  of  the  voice 
at  the  end  of  a  sentence  which  denotes  completeness  of 
sense.  The  length  of  the  skip  or  slide  in  cadence  is  de- 
termined (as  with  the  other  inflections)  by  the  nature  of 
the  thought  and  the  energy  and  earnestness  of  the  ex- 
pression. 

The  cadence  or  "  full  stop  "  in  reading  is  not  lim- 
ited to  the  grammatical  sentence,  but  when  the  sense  is 
sufficiently  complete  is  often  made  at  the  end  of  a  clause 
or  an  auxiliary  sentence. 

1.  One,  two,  three,  four,  five.    One,  two,  three,  four,  five, 
six,  seven. 

2.  Heaped  upon  the  floor,  to  form  a  kind  of  throne,  were 
turkeys,  geese,  game,  brawn,  great  joints  of  meat,  sucking 
pigs,  long  wreaths  of  sausages,  mince  pies,  plum  puddings, 
barrels  of  oysters,  red-hot  chestnuts,  cherry-cheeked  apples, 
juicy  oranges,  luscious  pears,   immense  twelfth-cakes,  and 
great  bowls  of  punch. 

Christmas  Carol.  Dickens. 

3.  The  fruit  of  the  Spirit  is  love,  joy,  peace,  long-suffering, 
gentleness,  goodness,  faith,  meekness,  temperance. 

4.  He  shudders — gasps — Jove  help  him — so,  he's  dead ! 

5.  One  Country,  one  Constitution,  one  Destiny. 

6.  I  was  born  an  American,  I  live  an  American,  I  shall 
die  an  American. 

7.  But,  oh,  what  damned  minutes  tells  he  o'er, 

Who  dotes,  yet  doubts  ;  suspects,  yet  strongly  loves  ! 

Othello,  Act  III. ,  Sc.  3.  Shakespeare. 

8.  He  sinks  into  thy  depths  with  bubbling  groan, 
Without  a  grave,  unknelled,  uncofrlned',  and  unknown'. 

Child*  Harold,  Canto  IV.  Byron. 


INFLECTION.  17  I 

9.  Give  thy  thoughts  no  tongue, 

Nor  any  unproportion'd  thought  his  act. 
Be  thou  familiar,  but  by  no  means  vulgar. 
The  friends  thou  hast,  and  their  adoption  tried, 
Grapple  them  to  thy  soul  with  hoops  of  steel. 

Hamlet,  Act  /.,  Sc.  3.  Shakespeare. 

In  a  concluding  series  of  particulars,  where  the  last 
two  are  connected  by  a  conjunction,  the  voice  gener- 
ally takes  the  rising  modulation  on  the  last  particular 
but  one.  This  gives  a  better  "  rounding  of  the 
period."  The  eighth  number  above  is  a  good  example 
of  such  a  "series." 

Questions  that  can  be  answered  by  yes  or  no  generally 
take  the  rising  inflection  ;  those  that  cannot,  take  the 
falling. 

1.  Will  you  join  our  party  this  evening'  ? 

2.  Why  did  you  not  call  for  me'  ? 

In  compound  questions,  the  first  usually  takes  the 
rising,  the  last  the  falling  modulation. 

I.  Will  you  make  your  debut  in  San  Francisco'  or  in  New 
York'  ? 

The  repetition  of  a  question  with  a  change  of  em- 
phasis requires  a  change  in  the  inflection. 

i.   Are  the  people  willing' ?       2.  Are  the  people  willing'  ? 

While  the  inflection  of  the  voice  is  greater  in  the 
more  emphatic  words  of  the  sentence  and  upon  the  last 
word  in  a  question,  yet  a  corresponding  modulation 
prevails  through  the  entire  sentence. 

Further  directions  for  the  employment  of  the  slides 
are  purposely  omitted.  The  cultivation  of  the  voice,  the 
teacher's  exemplifications,  and  the  intelligent,  though 
unconscious,  guidance  of  the  thought  and  feeling,  are 
the  best  means  for  acquiring  the  art  of  modulation. 


TIME. 

As  already  defined,  Time  relates  to  duration.  Its  ele- 
ments are  Quantity,  Movement,  and  Pause. 

In  solemnity  and  kindred  emotions,  in  expressions  in- 
dicating long  time  and  great  distance,  and  sometimes 
in  irony  and  scorn,  the  time  is  long.  That  is,  the  quan- 
tity and  pauses  are  long  and  the  movement  slow. 

In  unimpassioned  thought,  moderate  time  is  gener- 
ally used. 

In  energetic  and  impassioned  speech,  where  the  ideas 
denote  great  speed,  haste,  or  impatience,  quick  time  is 
employed. 

QUANTITY  : — 

Quantity  relates  to  the  duration  of  voice  upon  an 
element,  syllable,  or  word. 

As  a  rule,  long  quantity  is  given  to  the  long  vowels 
of  the  accented  syllables  of  words,  and  short  quantity 
to  the  short  vowels.  But  for  purposes  of  expression, 
the  rule  is  sometimes  reversed.  For  example,  the  long 
vowel  "  o  "  in  "  home  "  is  given  with  short  quantity  in 
the  sentence  below,  when  given  with  the  required  em- 
phasis : 

"  Hence,  HOME  !  ye  idle  creatures,  get  you  HOME  !  " 

While  in  the  following,  the  short  vowel  "i  "  in  "  pity  " 
is  given  avith  long  quantity  : 

"Pity  the  sorrows  of  a  poor  old  man  !  " 

As  an  exercise  in  Quantity,  practice  the  following 
words  in  different  degrees  of  pitch  and  with  varied  force 
and  inflection : 


TIME. 


173 


i.  Long  Quantity. — 


eve 

tame 

care 

palm 

awe 

home 

prove 

tide 

poise 

thou 

new 


2.  Short  Quantity. — 


serene 

meteor 

nature 

favorite 

staircase 

parentage 

plaza 

armament 

always 

awkwardly 

homeward 

potato 

toothache 

voodooism 

tyro 

iodine 

jointure 

voyager 

coward 

outlawry 

future 

utilize 

it 

pen 

earth 

apt 

task 

fop 

cup 

foot 


pretty 

revel 

perfect 

cattle 

fasten 

folly 

dusty 

brooklet 


pitying 

fretfulness 

terminal 

canvassing 

craftily 

pottery 

buttercup 

womanly 


MOVEMENT  : — 

Movement  relates  to  the  degree  of  rapidity  with 
which  the  successive  words  in  the  sentence  are  deliv- 
ered. It  is  dependent  upon  Quantity  and" Pause. 

Slow.— 

i.      Some,  o'er  the  tongue,  the  labored  measures  roll, 
Slow  and  deliberate  as  the  parting  toll ; 
Point  every  stop,  mark  every  pause  so  strong, 
Their  words,  like  stage  processions,  stalk  along. 

Modulation,  Lloyd. 


774  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

2.  Thou  unrelenting  Past ! 

Strong  are  the  barriers  round  thy  dark  domain, 

And  fetters,  sure  and  fast, 
Hold  all  that  enter  thy  unbreathing  reign. 

The  Past.  Bryant. 

3.  O  thou  eternal  one  !  whose  presence  bright 

All  space  doth  occupy,  all  motion  guide — 
Unchanged  through  time's  all-devastating  flight  ! 

Thou  only  God — there  is  no  God  beside  ! 
Being  above  all  beings  !     Mighty  one, 

Whom  none  can  comprehend,  and  none  explore  ! 
Who  fill'st  existence  with  Thyself  alone — 

Embracing  all,  supporting,  ruling  o'er, — 

Being  whom  we  call  God, — and  know  no  more. 

God.  Derzhaven. 

4.  Lord,  thou  hast  been  our  dwelling-place  in  all  genera- 
tions.     Before  the  mountains  were  brought  forth,  or  ever 
thou  hadst  formed  the  earth  and  the  world,  even  from  ever- 
lasting to  everlasting,  thou  art  God. 

Psalm  XC, 

Moderate. — 

1.  Lowliness  is  young  ambition's  ladder, 
Whereto  the  climber-upward  turns  his  face  ; 
But  when  he  once  attains  the  upmost  round, 
He  then  unto  the  ladder  turns  his  back, 
Looks  in  the  clouds,  scorning  the  base  degrees 
By  which  he  did  ascend  ;  so  Caesar  may  ; 
Then,  lest  he  may,  prevent. 

Julius  C&sar,  Act  II.,  Sc.  i.  Shakespeare. 

2.  In  the  lexicon  of  youth,  which  fate  reserves 
For  a  bright  manhood,  there  is  no  such  word 
As— fail. 

Richelieu,  Act  //.,  Sc.  2.  •        JSulwer. 


TIME.  17^ 

3.  There  is  a  tide  in  the  affairs  of  men, 

Which,  taken  at  the  flood,  leads  on  to  fortune  ; 
Omitted,  all  the  voyage  of  their  life 
Is  bound  in  shallows  and  in  miseries. 

Julius  Ccesar,  Act  IV.^  Sc.  3.  Shakespeare. 

4.  Because  half  a  dozen  grasshoppers  under  a  fern  make 
the  field  ring  with  their  importunate  chink,  whilst  thousands 
of  great  cattle,  reposed  beneath   the  shadow  of  the  British 
oak,  chew  the  cud  and  are  silent,  pray  do  not  imagine  that 
those  who  make  the   noise  are  the  only  inhabitants  of  the 

field-  Burke. 

Quick. — 

1.  Quick  !  man  the  life-boat  !     See  yon  bark 

That  drives  before  the  blast ! 
There's  a  rock  ahead,  the  night  is  dark, 

And  the  storm  comes  thick  and  fast. 
Can  human  power,  in  such  an  hour, 

Avert  the  doom  that's  o'er  her  ? 
Her  mainmast's  gone,  but  she  still  drives  on 

To  the  fatal  reef  before  her. 
The  life-boat !     Man  the  life-boat ! 

The  Life-Boat. 

2.  Now  you  see  the  water  foaming  all  around.     See  how 
fast  you  pass  that  point  !     Up  with  the  helm  !     Now  turn  ! 
Pull  hard  !  quick  !  quick  !  quick  !  pull  for  your  lives  !  pull 
till  the  blood  starts  from  your  nostrils,  and  the  veins  stand 
like  whip-cords  upon  your  brow  !  Set  the  mast  in  its  socket ! 
hoist  the  sail  !  ah  !  ah  !  it  is  too  late  !     Shrieking,  cursing, 
howling,  blaspheming  ;  over  they  go. 

Power  of  Habit.  Gough. 

3.  A  hurry  of  hoofs  in  a  village  street, 

A  shape  in  the  moonlight,  a  bulk  in  the  dark, 

And  beneath,  from  the  pebbles,  in  passing,  a  spark, 

Struck  out  by  a  steed  flying  fearless  and  fleet. 

Paul  Revere 's  Ride.  Longfellow. 


176  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

4.  Hear  the  sledges  with  the  bells — 

Silver  bells — 

What  a  world  of  merriment  their  melody  foretells  ! 
How  they  tinkle,  tinkle,  tinkle, 

In  the  icy  air  of  night  ! 
While  the  stars  that  oversprinkle 
All  the  heavens,  seem  to  twinkle 
With  a  crystalline  delight. 

The  Bells.  Poe. 

5.  Away  ! — away  !   and  on  we  dash  ! 
Torrents  less  rapid  and  less  rash. 
Away,  away,  my  steed  and  I, 
Upon  the  pinions  of  the  wind, 
All  human  dwellings  left  behind  ; 

We  speed  like  meteors  through  the  sky, 
When  with  its  crackling  sound  the  night 
Is  chequer'd  with  the  northern  light. 

Mazeppa.  Byron. 

6.  Gloriously,  Max  !  gloriously  !     There  were  sixty  horses 
in  the  field,  all  mettle  to  the  bone  ;  the  start  was  a  picture — 
away   we   went   in   .a   cloud — pell-mell — helter-skelter — the 
fools  first,  as  usual,  using  themselves  up.     We  soon  passed 
them — first  your  Kitty,  then  my  Blueskin,  and  Craven's  colt 
last.     Then  came  the  tug — Kitty  skimmed  the  walls — Blue- 
skin  flew  over  the  fences — the  colt  neck-and-neck,  and  half 
a  mile  to  run — at  last  the  colt  baulked  a  leap  and  went  wild. 
Kitty  and  I  had  it  all  to  ourselves — she   was  three  lengths 
ahead  as  we  breasted  the  last  wall,  six  feet,  if  an  inch,  and  a 
ditch  on  the  other  side.  Now,  for  the  first  time,  I  gave  Blue- 
skin  his  head — ha  !  ha  !     Away  he  flew  like  a  thunderbolt — 
over  went  the  filly — I  over  the  same  spot,  leaving  Kitty  in 
the  ditch — walked  the  steeple,  eight  miles  in  thirty  minutes, 
and  scarcely  turned  a  hair. 

London  Assurance,  Act  III.,  Sc.  i.  Boucicault. 


V 


PAUSE. 


PAUSE  is  the  rest  or  cessation  of  voice,  separating 
words,  clauses,  and  sentences  in  reading  and  speaking, 
to  render  thought  and  feeling  more  intelligible  and 
more  impressive. 

The  grammatical  construction  of  language  is  indi- 
cated by  marks  of  punctuation  ;  the  rhetorical  construc- 
tion by  pauses.  Between  these  is  a  correspondence 
which  makes  the  punctuation  marks  a  general,  but  not 
an  absolute  guide  in  reading.  The  longer  pauses  are 
usually  made  where  these  marks  occur  ;  but  pauses  are 
often  made  where  they  do  not  occur,  though  generally 
of  shorter  duration. 

Since  Pause  and  Movement  are  elements  of  Time, 
the  length  of  the  pause  is  determined  by  the  rate  of  the 
movement :  slow  movement  calling  for  long  pauses, 
and  rapid  movement  for  short  pauses. 

RHETORICAL  PAUSE: — 

The  Rhetorical  Pause  is  a  term  applied  to  those 
pauses  which  generally  occur  where  there  are  no  gram- 
matical separations.  The  more  important  of  them  are 
made, 

First,  where  there  is  a  sudden  interruption  or  change 
in  the  thought  or  emotion  ; 

Second,  where  words  are  omitted  to  avoid  repetition, 
to  give  terseness  to  the  expression,  or  to  shorten  the 
line  in  metrical  composition  ;  and, 


178  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

Third,  where  the  pause  is  made  before  the  utterance 
of  important  thought,  to  excite  curiosity  or  expectancy  ; 
or  after,  to  give  the  hearer  time  to  grasp  the  full  mean- 
ing of  the  emphatic  idea. 

1.  If  it  live  in  your  memory,  begin  at  this  line  ;  let  me 
see  ;  let  me  see  : 

The  rugged  Pyrrhus,  like  the  Hyrcanian  beast, — 
It  is  not  so  ;  it  begins  with  "  Pyrrhus." 

Hamlet.,  Act  77.,  Sc.  2.  Shakespeare. 

2.  Ay,  sir,  but  while  the  grass  grows — the   proverb  is 
something"  musty. 

Hamlet,  Act  III.,  Sc.  2.  Id. 

3.  Some — place  the  bliss  in  action,  some — in  ease  ; 
Those  call  it  pleasure,  and — contentment,  these. 

4.  He    plunged,  he    crossed,  and    Rome    was  free — no 
more  ! 

Crossing  of  the  Rubicon.  Knowles. 

5.  Thou  art  thyself  thine  enemy  : 

The  great ! — what  better  they  than  thou  ? 
As  theirs,  is  not  thy  will  as  free  ? 
Has  God  with  equal  favors  thee 

Neglected  to  endow  ? 

True,  wealth  thou  hast  not — 'tis  but  dust : 
Nor  place — uncertain  as  the  wind; 

But  that  thou  hast,  which  with  thy  crust 

And  water  may  despise  the  lust 
Of  both — a  noble  mind. 

6.  Her  neck  is  bared — the  blow  is  struck — the  soul  is  passed 

away  ! 
The  bright— the  beautiful,  is  now  a  piece  of  bleeding  clay  ! 

Mary  Queen  of  Scots.  Bell. 


PAUSE.  179 

7.  O  God  !  what  emotions  the  speaker  awoke  ; 
A  mortal  he  seemed — yet  a  deity  spoke  ; 

A  man — yet  so  far  from  humanity  riven  ; 

On  earth— yet  so  closely  connected  with  heaven. 

Mrs.  Welby. 

8.  Put  out  the  light,  and  then — put  out  the  light  ? 
If  I  quench  thee,  thou  flaming  minister, 

I  can  again  thy  former  light  restore, 
Should  I  repent  me  ;  but  once  put  out  thine, 
Thou  cunning'st  pattern  of  excelling  nature, 
I  know  not  where  is  that  Promethean  heat 
That  can  thy  light  relume. 

Othello,  Act  K,  Sc.  2.  Shakespeare. 

There  is  a  cessation  or  rest  of  the  voice  that  some- 
times occurs  in  poetic  verse  called  the 

CESURAL  PAUSE  : — 

1.  Hope  springs  eternal  |  in  the  human  breast : 
Man  never  is,  but  always  to  be  blest. 

Essay  on  Man.  Pope. 

2.  Pealed  their  first  notes  |  to  sound  the  march  of  time. 
—       •  *•" - 

3.  On  beds  of  green  sea-flowers  |  thy  limbs  shall  be  laid, 

Around  thy  white  bones  |  the  red  coral  shall  grow ; 
Of  thy  fair  yellow  locks  |  threads  of  amber  be  made, 
And  every  part  suit  |  to  thy  mansion  below. 

The  Mariner's  Dream.  Diamond. 

In  the  reading  of  metrical  composition,  avoid  a  sing- 
song movement  of  the  voice.  While  there  is  a  rhythm 
in  poetry  that  should  be  observed,  the  sense  should 
never  be  sacrificed  to  the  measure. 

Pauses  should  also  be  made  before  or  after 

INVERTED  WORDS  AND  PHRASES  : — 

An  inverted  word  is  one  that,  for  poetic  or  rhetorical 


l8o  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

purpose,  is  set  out  of  its  usual  or  grammatical  order. 
When  carried  forward,   the  pause  is  made  before  the 
word  ;  when  brought  back,  it  is  made  after.     The  same 
is  true  of  inverted  phrases. 
The  following  are  examples  : 

1.  His  coward  lips  did  from  their  color— -fly. 

2.  Through  glades  and  gloom  the  mingled  measure  stole, 
Or  o'er  some  haunted  stream  with  fond  delay, 
Round — a  holy  calm  diffusing. 

3.  Of  all  crimes — ingratitude  is  the  most  shameful. 

Besides  the  foregoing  uses  of  this  element  of  Time, 
Pause  is  the  'most  important  factor  in  "  Rhetorical 
Analysis,"  and  in  "  Rhythmus  and  Melody  of  Speech." 

Pauses  furnish  resting  places  for  the  voice  in  read- 
ing and  speaking,  and  afford  the  only  and  requisite  op- 
portunities for  taking  breath. 


RHETORICAL    ANALYSIS    OR 
GROUPING. 

GROUPING  of  thought  is  a  vocal  analysis  that  holds 
about  the  same  relation  to  spoken  language  as  gram- 
matical analysis  does  to  written. 

The  elements  with  which  Rhetorical  Analysis  is 
chiefly  concerned  are  Pitch,  Pause,  Time,  and  Stress. 
By  means  of  these,  the  leading  and  subordinate  ideas 
of  the  sentence  may  be  given  their  relative  value.  The 
principal  thought  or  statement  should  be  placed,  as  it 
were,  in  the  foreground  of  the  rhetorical  perspective  ; 
the  less  important  in  the  more  remote  or  middle-ground; 
and  the  least  important  or  "parenthetic  "  ideas  in  the 
background  of  the  rhetorical  perspective. 

To  show  the  value  of  this  principle,  and  the  import- 
ance of  "  rhetorical  analysis  "  to  correct  reading  and 
speaking,  read  the  following  sentence,  first,  with  uni- 
form emphasis,  pitch,  and  time,  and  without  pause,  and 
note  the  confusion  of  ideas.  Then  read  it  with  the 
required  emphasis,  pause,  etc.,  as  indicated. 

It  was  the  owl  that  shrieked  the  fatal  bell-man 
Which  gives  the  stern 'st  good-night. 

IT  WAS  THE  OWL  THAT  SHRIEKED,  the  fatal  bell-man, 
Which  gives  the  stern' st  good-night. 

Macbeth,  Act  II. ,  Sc.  2.  Shakespeare. 

Practice  the  following  examples  until  every  shade  in 


l82  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

the   expression  of   the  thought  and  feeling  is  clearly 
brought  out. 

1.  Perhaps  you  may  have  seen,  some  day, 
Roses  crowding  the  self-same  way, 
Out  of  a  wilding,  way-side  bush. 

An  Order  for  a  Pic  t  tire.  Alice  Car y. 

2.  The  oak  one  day  addressed  the  reed. 

3.  The  ocean  old,  centuries  old, 
Strong  as  youth  and  as  uncontrolled, 
Paces  restless  to  and  fro, 

Up  and  down  the  sands  of  gold. 

Building-  of  the  Ship.  Longfellow, 

4.  But  knowledge  to  their  eyes  her  ample  page, 

Rich  with  the  spoils  of  time,  did  ne'er  unroll  ; 
Chill  penury  repressed  their  noble  rage, 
And  froze  the  genial  current  of  the  soul. 

Elegy.  Gray. 

5.  Yet,  by  your  gracious  patience, 
I  will  a  round,  unvarnished  tale  deliver 
Of  my  whole  course  of  love. 

Othello \  Act  /.,  Sc.  3.  Shakespeare. 

6.  Yet  this  is  Rome, 

That  sat  on  her  seven  hills,  and,  from  her  throne 
Of  beauty,  ruled  the  world  !    Yet  we  are  Romans  ! 
Why,  in  that  elder  day,  to  be  a  Roman, 
Was  greater  than  a  king  ! 

Rienzi.  Mitford. 

7.  The  atrocious  crime  of  being  a  young  man,  which,  with 
so  much  spirit  and  decency,  the  honorable  gentleman  has 
charged  upon  me,  I  shall  neither  attempt  to  palliate  nor  deny. 

Pitt. 


RHETORICAL    ANALYSIS    OR    GROUPING.  183 

8.  Forth  march'd  the  chief,  and,  distant  from  the  crowd, 
High  on  the  rampart  raised  his  voice  aloud. 

^         ;  *  #  ^       .#*...•* 

As  the  loud  trumpet's  brazen  mouth  from  far, 

With  shrilling  clangor  sounds  th'  alarm  of  war ; 

So  high  his  dreadful  voice  the  hero  rear'd  ; 

Hosts  dropp'd  their  arms,  and  trembled  as  they  heard. 

From  the  Iliad.  Pope's  Tr. 

9.  She  never  told  her  love, 

But  let  concealment,  like  a  worm  F  the  bud, 
Feed  on  her  damask  cheek. 

Twelfth  Night,  Act  II. ,  Sc.  4.  Shakespeare. 

10.  Nature  to  each  allots  his  proper  sphere, 
But  that  forsaken,  we  like  comets  err  ; 

Toss'd  through  the  void,   by  some  rude  shock  we're 

broke, 
And  all  our  boasted  fire  is  lost  in  smoke. 

Congreve. 

11.  And,  Douglas,  more  I  tell  thee  here, 

Even  in  thy  pitch  of  pride, 
Here,  in  thy  hold,  thy  vassals  near, 
(Nay,  never  look  upon  your  lord, 
And  lay  your'hand  upon  your  sword), 

I  tell  thee,  thou'rt  defied  ! 

Marmion,  Canto  VI,  Scott. 

12.  In  Macbeth,  for  the  sake  of  gratifying  his  own  enor- 
mous and  teeming  faculty  of  creation,  Shakespeare  has  in- 
troduced two  murderers  ;  and,  as  usual  in  his  hands,  they 
are  remarkably  discriminated  ;  but  though  in  Macbeth  the 
strife  of  mind  is  greater  than  in  his  wife,  the  tiger  spirit  not 
so  awake,  and  his  feeling  caught  chiefly  by  contagion  from 
her — yet,  as  both  are  finally  involved  in  the  guilt  of  murder, 
the  murderous  mind  of  necessity  is  finally  to  be  presumed 
in  both. 

Essay  on  Shakespeare*  De  Quincey, 


184  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

13.  Care  to  our  coffin  adds  a  nail,  no  doubt ; 
And  every  laugh  so  merry  draws  one  out. 

Expostulatory  Odes.  John  Wolcott. 

14.  Go,  preach  to  the  coward,  thou  death-telling  seer, 
Or,  if  gory  Culloden  so  dreadful  appear, 

Draw,  dotard,  around  thy  old  wavering  sight, 
This  mantle,  to  cover  the  phantoms  of  fright. 

LochieVs  Warning.  Campbell. 

In  "simile,"  the  thing  compared  is  more  important 
than  that  to  which  it  is  likened.  Hence,  the  latter  must 
always  be  made  subordinate  to  the  former. 

The  eighth  and  ninth  exercises  above  contain  good 
examples  of  the  simile. 


EMPHASIS. 

EMPHASIS,  in  its  widest  signification,  comprehends 
the  various  vocal  means  by  which  thought  and  emotion 
are  made  significant  and  impressive.  Emphasis  is 
given  in  the  following  three  ways  : 

I.  BY  FORCE  : — 

BACK  to  thy  punishment. 

II.  BY  TIME  :— 

He  gave  one  long  lingering  look  behind. 

III.  BY  SLIDE  :— 

1.  I  come  to  bu'ry'  Caesar,  not  to  prai"se  him'. 

2.  O'\  cer'tainl/,  the  elec'tions*  are  coming  on\ 

3.  Thou  For'tuneV  champion,  thou  dost  never  fight' 
But  when  her  humorous  lady'ship'  is  by 

To  teach  thee  safe'ty  ! 

King  John,  Act  ///.,  Sc  i.  Shakespeare, 

The  above  means  for  giving  emphasis  are  generally 
used  in  conjunction,  and  when  so  used,  one  of  them 
usually  predominates  and  characterizes  the  emphasis. 

FORCE  predominates  in  impassioned  thought. 

TIME,  in  the  expression  of  solemnity,  awe,  sublimity, 
reverence,  endearment,  etc.,  and  to  denote  long  time 
and  great  distance. 

SLIDE  predominates  in  contrasted  ideas,  in  irony,  rid- 
icule, etc.,  and  generally  in  scorn. 


186  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

The  practical  application  of  the  foregoing  rules  and 
principles  will  be  found  in  the  following  sentences. 

1.  Rouse,  ye  Romans  !  ROUSE,  ye  slaves  ! 

Rienzi.  Mitford. 

2.  From  every  hill,  by  every  sea, 

In  shouts  proclaim  the  great  decree, 
"  All  chains  are  burst,  all  men  are  free  ! " 
Hurrah,  HURRAH,  HURRAH  ! 

3.  The  war  is  inevitable,  and  let  it  come  !    I  repeat  it,  sir, 

LET  IT  COME  ! 

Patrick  Henry. 

4.  Come,  consecrated  Lictors,  from  your  thrones  ; 
Fling  down  your  scepters  ;  take  the  rod  and  ax, 
And  make  the  murder,  as  you  make  the  law  ! 

Catiline.  Croly. 

5.  Cry  "  Havoc  !  "  and  let  slip  the  dogs  of  war. 

Julius  Ccesar,  Act  III.,  Sc.  i.  Shakespeare. 

6.  Arm,  gentlemen,  to  arms  !  for  I  have  thrown 
A  brave  defiance  in  King  Henry's  teeth. 
Now,  by  my  sword,  I  will  kill  ail  his  coats  ; 
I'll  murder  all  his  wardrobe  piece  by  piece, 
Until  I  meet  the  king. 

Henry  IV.,  Part  I.^ActV.,  Scs.  2  and  3.  Shakespeare. 

7.  Up  and  away  ! 

Our  soldiers  stand  full  fairly  for  the  day. 

8.  He  loosed  the  steed — his  slack  hand  fell — upon  the 

silent  face 

He  cast  one     long    deep     troubled    look, 
then  turned  from  that  sad  place  ! 

Bernardo  del  Carpio.  Mrs.  Hentans. 

9.  The  time  is  long  past,  and  the  scene  is  afar, 

Yet,  when  my  head  rests  on  its  pillow, 

Will  memory  sometimes  rekindle  the  star 

That  blazed  on  the  breast  of  the  billow. 

The  Light-House.  Moore. 


EMPHASIS.  187 

10.  Soldier,  rest !  thy  warfare  o'er, 

Sleep  the  sleep  that  knows  not  breaking  ; 
Dream  of  battle-fields  no  more, 
Days  of  danger,  nights  of  waking. 

In  our  isle's  enchanted  hall, 

Hands  unseen  thy  couch  are  strewing ; 

Fairy  strains  of  music  fall, 

Every  sense  in  slumber  dewing. 

Lady  of  the  Lake,  Canto  I.  Scott. 

11.  See  how  she  leans  her  cheek  upon  her  hand  ! 
O,  that  I  were  a  glove  upon  that  hand, 
That  I  might  touch  that  cheek  ! 

Romeo  and  Juliet^  Act  //.,  Sc.  2.  Shakespeare. 

12.  Thou  glorious  mirror  !  where  the  Almighty's  form 
Glasses  itself  in  tempests  ;   in  all  time, 

Calm  or  convulsed, — in  breeze,  or  gale,  or  storm, — 
Icing  the  pole,  or  in  the  torrid  clime 
Dark-heaving, — boundless,  endless,  and  sublime  ! 

Childe  Harold,  Canto  IV.  Byron. 

13.  And  louder  yet  into  Winchester  rolled 
The  roar  of  that  red  sea  uncontrolled, 
Making  the  blood  of  the  listener  cold, 

As  he  thought  of  the  stake  in  that  fiery  fray, 
And  Sheridan   twenty    miles    away! 

Sheridan's  Ride.  T.  B.  Read. 


14.     We    live   in    deeds'",  not  years'';    in   thought",   not 

breath' ; 

In  feelings',  not  in  figures  on  a  dial' ; 
We   should  count  time  by  heart  throbs.      He  most 

lives 
Who  thinks  most,  feels  the  noblest,  acts  the  best. 

Festus.  Bailey. 


1 88  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

15.  They  come,  and  to  my  beard  they  dare 

To  tell  me  now,  that  I, 
Their  own  liege  lord  and  master  born — 
That  I— ha  !  ha  !— must  die  ! 

Baron  Rudiger.  A .  G.  Greene, 

16.  For  he  made  me  mad 

To  see  him  shine  so  brisk,  and  smell  so  sweet, 

And  talk  so  like  a  waiting  gentlewoman, 

Of  guns,  and  drums,  and  wounds — heaven  save  the 

mark — 

And  telling  me  the  sovereign'st  thing  on  earth 
Was  spermaceti — for  an  inward  bruise. 

Henry  IV. ,  Part  I. ,  A  ct  I. ,  Sc.  3.  Shakespeare. 

17.  "Thou  art  a  cobbler,  art  thou  ?  " 

"  Truly,  sir,  all  that  I  live  by  is  with  the  awl" 

Julius  C<esar,Act  I.,  Sc.  i.  Id. 

18.  "Very  well,  ma'am,  very  well  !     So  a  husband 'is  to 
have  no  influence — no  authority  !  " 

"Authority  f  No,  to  be  sure  !  If  you  wanted  authority 
over  me,  you  should  have  adopted  me,  and  not  married  me  ; 
I  am  sure  you  were  old  enough." 

The  School  for  Scandal,  Act  L,  Sc.  z.  Sheridan. 

Emphasis  is  relative — not  absolute.  There  is  no 
such  thing  as  emphasis  and  not  emphasis  in  reading  and 
speaking.  All  thought  that  is  voiced  is  relatively  em- 
phatic. The  difference  is  only  in  degree.  There  may 
be  different  readings  of  the  same  sentence  by  different 
persons  (or  by  the  same  person),  and  both  be  correct,  or 
at  least  admissible. 

In  poetically  constructed,  in  complex,  and  in  involved 
sentences,  misapplied  emphasis  is  a  common  fault.  To 
ascertain  the  relative  importance  of  the  words  and 
ideas  in  such  sentences,  the  words  should  be  so  trans- 


EMPHASIS.  189 

posed  as  to  put  the  sentence  into  its  simplest  and  most 
prosaic  form.  What  is  found  to  be  more  significant  in 
this  form,  remains  so  in  its  complex  or  poetical  con- 
struction. 

Except  for  special  purposes  and  to  a  limited  extent, 
the  endeavor  to  indicate  degrees  of  emphasis  by  means 
of  type,  is  more  misleading  than  helpful.  The  same  is 
true  regarding  signs  of  inflection  for  modulation. 

After  a  certain  amount  of  practice  is  had  under  rules 
in  accordance  with  general  principles,  the  best  plan  is 
to  study  the  sentence  or  paragraph  until  the  mind  has 
become  thoroughly  imbued  with  the  thought  and  feel- 
ing, and  then  it  should  be  read  as  thought  and  felt, 
The  emphasis,  as  well  as  the  other  elements  of  expres- 
sion, will  then  generally  take  care  of  themselves. 

ANTITHESIS  : — 

Antithesis  relates  to  words  and  sentiments  that  are 
compared,  contrasted,  or  opposed  in  meaning. 

The  antithesis  of  ideas  is  brought  out  by  emphasis, 
according  to  the  rule  already  given  for  "  contrasted 
ideas."  Emphasis  by  modulation  or  slide  characterizes 
the  expression  of  antithetic  thought.  A  change  of  in- 
flection generally  occurs  in  the  emphasis  of  antithetic 
ideas.  If  it  is  the  falling  inflection  in  one,  it  is  the  ris- 
ing in  the  other.  The  contrasted  idea  is  sometimes 
implied. 

1.  Striving  to  better,  oft  we  mar  what's  well. 

2.  The  fault,  dear  Brutus,  is  not  in  our  stars, 
But  in  ourselves,  that  we  are  underlings. 

Julius  Ccesar,  Act  I.,  Sc.  2.  Shakespeare. 

3.  Give  it  an  understanding,  but  no  tongue. 

Hamlet \  Act  I.,  Sc.  2.  Id. 


igo  VOICE   CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

4.  I  must  be  cruel,  only  to  be  kind  j 

Thus  bad  begins,  and  worse  remains  behind. 

Hamlet.  Act  ///.,  Sc.  4.  Id 

5.  Our  new  heraldry  is — hands,  not  hearts. 

Othello,  Act  ///.,  Sc.  4.  Id. 

6.  Love  looks  not  with  the  eyes,  but  with  the  mind; 
And  therefore  is  wing'd  Cupid  painted  blind. 

Midsummer  Night's  Dream,  Act  I.,  Sc.  i.  Id. 

7.  He  jests  at  scars  that  never  felt  a  wound. 

Romeo  and  Juliet,  Act  II. ,  Sc.  2.  Id. 

8.  Friendship  was  in  their  looks,  but  in  their  hearts  there 

was  hatred. 

9.  Oh  !  the  blood  more  stirs 

To  rouse  a  lion  than  to  start  a  hare. 

K.  Henry  IV. ,  Part  I.,  Act  /.,  Sc.  3.  Shakespeare. 

10.  You  will  find  it  less  easy  to  uproot  faults  than  choke 
them  by  gaining  virtues. 

11.  A  maiden's  wrath  has  two  eyes — one  blind,  the  other 
keener  than  a  falcon's. 

12.  The  storm  that  rends  the  oak  uproots  the  flower. 

13.  Man  cannot  make — but  may  ennoble  fate, 

By  nobly  bearing  it.     So  let  us  trust, 
Not  to  ourselves,  but  God,  and  calmly  wait 
Love's  orient  out  of  darkness  and  of  dust. 

Lucile.  Owen  Meredith. 

14.  Love  lights  more  fires  than  hate  extinguishes, 
And  men  grow  better  as  the  world  grows  old. 

15.  But  break,  my  heart,  for  I  must  hold  my  tongue. 

Hamlet,  Act  I.,  Sc.  2.  Shakespeare. 

16.  They  follow  an  adventurer  whom  they  fear,  and  obey 


EMPHASIS.  £91 

a  power  which  they  hate  ;  we  serve  a  monarch  whom  we 
love,  a  God  whom  we  adore. 

Pizarro,  Act  //.,  Sc.  2.  /?.  B.  Sheridan. 

17.  I  feel  the  impulse — yet  I  do  not  plunge  ; 
I  see  the  peril — yet  do  not  recede  ; 

And  my  brain  reels — and  yet  my  foot  is  firm. 

Man/red,  Act  I.,  Sc.  2.  Byron. 

18.  It  was  midnight  when  I  listened, 

And  I  heard  two  voices  speak  ; 
One  was  harsh,  and  stern,  and  cruel, 
And  the  other  soft  and  weak. 

The  Two  Voices.  Adelaide  A.  Proctor. 

EMPHATIC    REPETITION  : — 

When  words  are  repeated  for  the  sake  of  emphasis, 
they  should  be  given  with  increased  energy  at  each  re- 
petition. An  elevation  of  the  voice  in  pitch  usually  ac- 
companies an  increase  in  force. 

1 .  Seize,  SEIZE  the  traitor  ! 

2.  Weapons,  weapons,  WEAPONS  ! 

3.  Peace,  peace,  PEACE  ;  stay,  hold,  PEACE  ! 

4.  Rise  !  oh  RISE  ! 

Sound,  SOUND,  that  all  the  universe  may  hear  ! 


5.  Alas  !  ALAS  !  I  know  not  : 

Friend  and  foe  together  fall, 
O'er  the  dying  rush  the  living : 
Pray,  my  sisters,  pray  for  all  ! 

A  ngels  of  Buena  Vista.  Whittier. 

6.  Half  a  league,  half  a  league, 
Half  a  league  onward, 

All  in  the  valley  of  Death 
Rode  the  six  hundred. 

The  Light  Brigade.  Tennyson. 


192  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

7.  Off,  off,  you  base  and  hireling  pack  ! 

8.  Room,  my  lords,  room  !     The  minister  of  France 
Can  need  no  intercession  with  the  king. 

Richelieu^  Act  IV,,  Sc.  i.  Buliver. 

9.  O  !  base,  base,  base  ! 

This  pardons  Herod  in  the  eye  of  heaven. 

Sir,  I  won't  hear  a  word,  not  a  word  !  not  one  word  ! 

10.  If  I  were  an  American,  as  I  am  an  Englishman,  while 
a  foreign  troop  was  landed  in  my  country,  I  never  would  lay 
down  my  arms  ! — never  !  never  !  never  ! 

Lord  Chatham. 

CLIMAX  : — 

Climax  is  an  arrangement  of  thought  in  which  the 
successive  ideas  rise  in  importance  towards  the  close  of 
the  sentence. 

The  members  of  the  series  which  compose  the  climax 
may  be  words,  phrases,  or  sentences.  Each  successive 
member  should  be  given  with  increased  energy  and  ear- 
nestness, the  last  member  of  the  series  receiving  the 
greatest  emphasis,  when  the  "  climax  "  is  said  to  be 
reached. 

The  rule  for  climax  applies,  to  a  certain  extent,  to 
Amplification  and  Enumeration,  illustrations  of  which 
are  included  in  the  following  examples : 

DARE    NOT 

must  not,  grant 

I  will  not,  your 

wish. 

I.  We  have  yet  many  forced  marches  to  make  ;  ene- 
mies to  vanquish  ;  laurels  to  gather  ;  and  INJURIES  TO 

AVENGE ! 

Napoleon. 


EMPHASIS.  193 

2.  Each  hour  dark  fraud, 

Or  OPEN  RAPINE,  or  PROTECTED  MURDER, 

Cry  out  against  them. 

3.  Friendship  was    its    inhabitant  ;  love  was    its  inhabit- 
ant ;  domestic  affection  was  its  inhabitant ;  liberty  was  its 
inhabitant ! — all  bounded  by  the  stream  of  the  Rubicon. 

Passing  of  the  Rubicon.  Knoivles. 

4.  Then  came  a  cloud  of  smoke,  and  out  of  the  cloud  came 

the  lightning-, 

Out  of  the  lightning  thunder  ;  and  death  unseen  ran 
N before  it. 

Miles  Standish.  Longfellow. 

5.  Your  dearest  interests,  your  own  liberties,  the  Constitu- 
tion itself,  totter  to  the  foundation. 

6.  Patricians  !     They  have  pushed  me  to  the  gulf: — 
I  have  worn  down  my  heart,  wasted  my  means, 
Humbled  my  birth,  bartered  my  ancient  name, 
For  the  rank  favor  of  the  senseless  mass. 

Catiline.  Croly. 

7.  To  wake  the  soul  by  tender  strokes  of  art ; 
To  raise  the  genius,  and  to  mend  the  heart  ; 
To  make  mankind  in  conscious  virtue  bold, 
Live  o'er  the  scene,  and  be  what  they  behold  : 
For  this  the  tragic  muse  first  trod  the  stage, — 
Commanding  tears  to  stream  through  every  age. 

Prologue  to  A  ddisorfs  Cato.  Pope. 

8.  What  !   attribute  the  sacred  sanction  of  God  and  Na- 
ture to  the  massacres  of  the  Indian  scalping-knife, — to  the 
cannibal  savage,  torturing,  murdering,  devouring,  drinking 
the  blood  of  his  mangled  victims  !     Such  horrible  notions 
shock  every  precept  of  religion,  every  sentiment  of  honor, 
every  generous  feeling  of  humanity  ! 

On  the  Employment  of  Indians  in  War.  Lord  Chatham, 

9.  The  cloud-capp'd  towers,  the  gorgeous  palaces, 
The  solemn  temples,  the  great  globe  itself, 

13 


194  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

Yea,  all  which  it  inherit,  shall  dissolve ; 
And,  like  this  insubstantial  pageant  faded, 
Leave  not  a  rack  behind. 

Tempest,  Act  IV.,  Sc.  i.  Shakespeare. 

10.  Call  me  their  traitor  ! — Thou  injurious  tribune  ! 
Within  thine  eyes  sat  twenty  thousand  deaths, 
In  thy  hands  clutch'd  as  many  millions,  in 
Thy  lying  tongue  both  numbers,  I  would  say 
Thou  liest,  unto  thee,  with  a  voice  as  free 

As  I  do  pray  the  gods. 

Coriolamis,  Act  ///.,  Sc.  3.  Id. 

11.  Can  you  raise  the  dead  ? 
Pursue  and  overtake  the  wings  of  time  ? 
And  bring  about  again  the  hours,  the  days, 
The  years  that  made  me  happy  ? 

Oroonoko^  Act  II. ,  Sc.  2.  Thos.  Southern. 

12.  I  found  France  rent  asunder  ; 

The  rich  men  despots,  and  the  poor  banditti  ; 
Sloth  in  the  market  and  schism  in  the  temple  ; 
Brawls  festering  to  rebellion  ;  and  weak  laws 
Rotting  away  with  rust  in  antique  sheaths. 
I  have  recreated  France  ;  and,  from  the  ash 
Of  the  old  feudal  and  decrepit  carcass, 
Civilization,  on  her  luminous  wings, 
Soars,  phoenix-like,  to  Jove  ! 

Richelieu,  Act  I.,  Sc.  2.  Sir  E.  Bulwer  Lytton. 

ANTI-CLIMAX  is  an  arrangement  of  ideas  in  which 
the  members  forming  the  series  stand  in  the  reverse 
order  from  that  of  Climax.  It  occurs  in  the  expression 
of  sorrow,  weakness,  and  despair. 


EMPHASIS.  195 

SIGNIFICANCE     OF     MODULATION,  EMPHASIS,    AND 
PAUSE. 

The  study  of  the  following  sentences  will  show  the 
importance  of  proper  modulation  and  the  correct  plac- 
ing of  emphasis  and  pause.  Most  of  the  punctuation 
marks  are  purposely  omitted. 

1.  The  man  who  is  in  the  daily  use  of  alcoholic  liquors 
if  he  does  not  become  a  drunkard  is  in  danger  of  losing  his 
health  and  character. 

2.  She  wished  she  had  not  heard  it,  yet  she  wished 
That  heaven  had  made  her  such  a  man. 

Othello,  Act  I.,  Sc.  3.  Shakespeare. 

3.  The  dog  would  have  died  if  you  hadn't  cut  his  head  of£ 

4.  Your  honor  is  right  and  I  am  wrong  as  your  honor 
usually  is. 

5.  Where  is  the  man  ?     There  he  is  madam  drunk  as  you 
behold. 

6.  Hang  out  the  banners  on  the  outward  wall  the  cry  is 

still  they  come, 

Macbeth,  Act  V.,  Sc.  5.  Shakespeare. 

7.  There's  a  divinity  that  shapes  our  ends 
Roughhew  them  how  we  will. 

Hamlet,  Act  V.,  Sc.  2.  Id. 

8.  Thou  foundest  me  an  enemy,  thou  leavest  me  a  friend. 

9.  The  wicked  flee  when  no  man  pursueth  but  the  right- 
eous is  bold  as  a  lion. 

10.  He  moves  a  god  resistless  in  his  course, 

And  seems  a  match  for  more  than  mortal  force. 

Iliad.  Homer. 

11.  A  fellow  in  a  market  town 

Most  musical  cries  razors  up  and  down. 

The  Razor-Seller.  John  Wolcott. 


196  VOICE   CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

12.  My  hand  will  rather 

The  multitudinous  seas  incarnadine 
Making  the  green  one  red. 

Macbeth ,  A  ct  II. ,  Sc.  2.  Shakespeare 

13.  How  fleet  is  a  glance  of  the  mind 

Compared  with  the  speed  of  its  flight 
The  tempest  itself  lags  behind 

And  the  swift-winged  arrows  of  light. 

Alexander  Selkirk.  Cowper. 

14.  The  king  himself  has  followed  her 

When  she  has  walked  before. 

Mary  Blaize.  Goldsmith. 

15.  The  judge  in  passing  sentence  on  John  said  that  he 
was  not  guilty. 

1 6.  He  had  a  patient  lying  at  Death's  door 

Some  three  miles  from  the  town  it  might  be  four. 

17.  He  tenderly  led  from  the  court-room 
Himself  the  guilty  child. 

Giiilty  or  not  Guilty. 

1 8.  If  Moses  was  the  son  of  Pharaoh's   daughter  then 
Moses  was  the  daughter  of  Pharaoh's  son. 


TRANSITION. 

TRANSITION  is  the  name  given  to  those  abrupt 
changes  in  pitch,  force,  time,  and  quality,  employed  for 
expression  in  reading  and  speaking. 

The  strongest  effects  in  dramatic  expression  are 
made  by  means  of  Transition.  The  highest  vocal  and 
physical  qualifications  are  necessary  for  its  effective 
application  in  passages  that  require  marked  changes  in 
pitch,  time,  force,  and  "action." 

An  important  application  of  Transition  is  in  the 
passing  from  one  character  to  another  in  personation. 

A  pause  of  greater  or  less  duration  generally  takes 
place  at  the  transition. 

1.  So  stately  her  bearing,  so  proud  her  array, 

The  main  she  will  traverse  forever  and  aye  ; 
Many  ports  will  exult  at  the  gleam  of  her  mast ! — 
Hush  !  hush  !  thou  vain  dreamer  !  this  hour  is  her 

Mrs.  Browning, 

2.  At  first  a  universal  shriek  there  rushed, 
Louder  than  the  loud  ocean,  like  a  crash 
Of  echoing  thunder  ; — then  all  was  hushed, 
Save  the  wild  wind  anrd  the  remorseless  dash 
Of  billows. 

The  Shipwreck.  Byron. 

3.  The  combat  deepens. — On,  ye  brave, 
Who  rush  to  glory  or  the  grave  ! 

Hohenlinden.  Campbell 


198  VOICE    CULTURE    AND   ELOCUTION. 

4.  Lo  !  anointed  by  heaven  with  vials  of  wrath, 
Behold,  where  he  flies  on  his  desolate  path ! 

Now,  in  darkness  and  billows,  he   sweeps  from  my 

sight : 

Rise  !  rise  !  ye  wild  tempests,  and  cover  his  flight  ! 
Tis    finished.      Their   thunders   are   hushed   on   the 

moors  ; 
Culloden  is  lost,  and  my  country  deplores.! 

LochieVs  Warning.  Campbell. 

5.  "  Halt !  " — the  dust-brown  ranks  stood  fast ; 
"'Fire  !  " — out  blazed  the  rifle-blast. 

It  shivered  the  window,  pane  and  sash, 
It  rent  the  banner  with  seam  and  gash. 
Quick,  as  it  fell  from  the  broken  staff, 
Dame  Barbara  snatched  the  silken  scarf; 
She  leaned  far  out  on  the  window-sill, 
And  shook  it  forth  with  a  royal  will. 

"  Shoot,  if  you  must,  this  old  gray  head, 
But  spare  your  country's  flag,"  she  said. 
A  shade  of  sadness,  a  blush  of  shame, 
Over  the  face  of  the  leader  came  ; 
The  nobler  nature  within  him  stirred 
To  life  at  that  woman's  deed  and  word. 

"  Who  touches  a  hair  of  yon  gray  head 
Dies  like  a  dog  !  March  on  !  "  he  said. 

Barbara  Frietchie.  Whittier. 

6.  They  fought  like  brave  men,  long  and  well, 
They  piled  the  ground  with  Moslem  slain, 
They  conquered — but  Bozzaris  fell, 

Bleeding  at  every  vein. 

Marco  Bozzaris.  Halleck. 

7.  "  Charge,  Chester,  charge  !   On,  Stanley,  on  !  " 

Were  the  last  words  of  Marmion. 

Marmion,  Canto  VI.  Scott. 


TRANSITION.  199 

8.  "  Accursed  be  the  fagots  that  blaze  at  his  feet, 

Where  his  heart  shall  be  thrown  e'er  it  ceases  to  beat, 
With  the  smoke  of  the  ashes  to  poison  the  gale  " — 
— "  Down,  soothless  insulter  !  I  trust  not  the  tale  ; 
For  never  shall  Albyn  a  destiny  meet 
So  black  with  dishonor — so  foul  with  retreat." 

Lochiefs  Warning.  Campbell. 

9.  "  By  the  God  that  made  thee,  Randolph, 

Tell  us  what  mischance  hath  come  !  " 
Then  he  lifts  his  riven  banner, 
And  the  asker's  voice  is  dumb. 

Flodden  Field.  Aytoun. 

10.  If  you  should  transfer  the  amount  of  your  reading  day 
by  day  from  the  newspapers  to  the  standard  authors — but 
who  dare  speak  of  such  a  thing  ? 

Emerson. 

11.  [Sir  Peter. \  Lady  Teazle,  Lady  Teazle,  I'll  not  bear  it. 
[Lady   Teazle.]  Sir  Peter,  Sir  Peter,  you  may  bear  it  or 

not,  as  you  please  ;  but  I  ought  to  have  my  own  way  in 
everything,  and,  what's  more,  I  will  too. 

School  for  Scandal,  Act  I.,  Sc.  2.  R.  B.  Sheridan. 

12.  [Sir  P.]  This,  madam,  was  your  situation,  and  what 
have  I  done  for  you  ?     I  have  made  you  a  woman  of  fashion, 
of  fortune,  of  rank  ;  in  short,  I  have  made  you  my  wife. 

[Lady  71]  Well,  then — and  there  is  but  one  thing  more 
you  can  make  me,  to  add  to  the  obligation,  and  that  is — 
[Sir  P.]  My  widow,  I  suppose  ? 
[Lady  T.]  Hem  !  hem  ! 

Id.  Id. 


QUALITY. 

FOR  definitions  of  the  different  qualities  of  voice,  see 
pages  63  and  64.  Examples  for  practice  are  given 
below. 

PURE  : — 

1.  How  sweet  the  chime  of  the  Sabbath  bells  ! 
Each  one  its  creed  in  music  tells, 

In  tones  that  float  upon  the  air, 
As  soft  as  song,  as  pure  as  prayer  ; 
And  I  will  put  in  simple  rhyme 
The  language  of  the  golden  chime. 
My  happy  heart  with  rapture  swells 
Responsive  to  the  bells— sweet  bells. 

Creeds  of  the  Bells.  Bungay. 

2.  How  sweet  the  moonlight  sleeps  upon  this  bank  ! 
Here  will  we  sit  and  let  the  sound  of  music 
Creep  in  our  ears  ;  soft  stillness  and  the  night 
Become  the  touches  of  sweet  harmony. 

Sit,  Jessica.     Look  how  the  floor  of  heaven 
Is  thick  inlaid  with  patines  of  bright  gold. 
There's  not  the  smallest  orb  which  thou  behold'st 
But  in  his  motion  like  an  angel  sings, 
Still  quiring  to  the  young-eyed  cherubims  ; 
Such  harmony  is  in  immortal  souls  ; 
But  whilst  this  muddy  vesture  of  decay 
Doth  grossly  close  it  in,  we  cannot  hear  it. 

Merchant  of  Venice,  Act  V.^Sc.  i.  Shakespeare. 

3.  O  thou  that  roll'st  above,  round  as  the  shield  of  my 

fathers  ! 
Whence  are  thy  beams,  O  sun  !  thy  everlasting  light  ? 

Address  to  the  Sun.  Ossian. 


QUALITY.  201 

4.      Roll  on,  thou  deep  and  dark  blue  ocean — roll ! 
Ten  thousand  fleets  sweep  over  thee  in  vain  ; 
Man  marks  the  earth  with  ruin — his  control 
Stops  with  the  shore  ;    upon  the  watery  plain 
The  wrecks  are  all  thy  deed,  nor  doth  remain 
A  shadow  of  man's  ravage,  save  his  own, 
When,  for  a  moment,  like  a  drop  of  rain, 
He  sinks  into  thy  depths  with  bubbling  groan, 
Without    a  grave,    unknelled,    uncoffined,    and    un- 
known. 

Childe  Harold,  Canto  IV.  Byron. 

IMPURE  : — 

1.  "Hush  !   silence  along  the  lines  there!"   he  muttered 
in  that  wild,  absent  tone,  as  though  speaking  to  the  dead  ; 
"  Silence  along  the  lines  !   not  a  word — not  a  word,  on  the 
peril  of  your  lives  !     Hark  you,  Montgomery  !  we  will  meet 
in  the  center  of  the  town  : — we  will  meet  there  in  victory  or 
die  !  " 

Death-bed  of  Benedict  A  mold.  Geo.  Lizard. 

2.  Lo  !   now  the  night  is  coming.     The   mist  is  gathering 
on  the  hill.     The  fox  steals  forth  to  seek  his  quarry,  and  the 
gray  owl  sweeps  whirling  by,  rejoicing  in  the  stillness. 

The  Dying  Knight. 

3.  A-ha  !  the  veil !  the  veil ! — it  was  empoisoned  ! 

Medea,  Act  HI.  Matilda  Heron. 

4.  My  dream  was  lengthened  after  life  ; 

Oh  !  then  began  the  tempest  to  my  soul  ! 
•&  *  •&  •&  •&  •& 

With  that,  methought  a  legion  of  foul  fiends 
Environed  me,  and  howled  in  mine  ears 
Such  hideous  cries,  that,  with  the  very  noise, 
I  trembling  waked,  and,  for  a  season  after, 
Could  not  believe  but  that  I  was  in  hell ; 
Such  terrible  impression  made  my  dream  ! 

Richard  III. ,  A  ct  I ,  Sc.  4.  Shakespeare. 


202  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

5.  Yet  half  I  hear  the  parting  spirit  sigh, 
"  It  is  a  dread  and  awful  thing  to  die  ! " 

6.  How  like  a  fawning  publican  he  looks  ! 
I  hate  him,  for  he  is  a  Christian  ; 

But  more,  for  that,  in  low  simplicity, 

He  lends  out  money  gratis,  and  brings  down 

The  rate  of  usance  here  with  us  in  Venice. 

If  I  can  catch  him  once  upon  the  hip, 

I  will  feed  fat  the  ancient  grudge  I  bear  him  ! 

Merchant  of  Venice^  Act  I.,  Sc.  3.  Shakespeare, 


IMITATIVE  MODULATION. 

The  correspondence  between  sound  and  sense  is,  per- 
haps, more  marked  in  the  English  language  than  in 
.any  other.  The  sound  and  modulation  of  the  words — 
the  elements  themselves — have  a  significance  that 
every  orator  and  actor  appreciates,  and  seeks  to  make 
effective  in  the  communication  of  thought  and  feeling. 

Give  each  of  the  following  words  in  that  quality 
suggested  by  its  meaning : 

Rough,  smooth,  light,  thin,  heavy,  tough,  brittle, 
husky,  harsh,  chuckle,  quick,  slow,  click,  crash,  splash, 
whizz,  boom,  patter,  rumble,  groans,  tinkle,  bellow, 
buzz,  bubble,  bells,  tolls. 

The  following  sentences  are  good  illustrations  of 
Imitative  Modulation,  and  will  be  found  excellent  for 
practice  : 

i.       Down  the  rough  slope  the  ponderous  wagon  rings  ; 
Through  rustling  corn  the  hare  astonished  springs  / 
Slow  tolls  the  village  clock  the  drowsy  hour  ; 
The  partridge  bursts  away  on  whirring  wings. 


QUALITY.  203 

2.  Hark  !  how  the  sign-board  creaks  !  The  blast  howls  by  ! 
Moan  !  moan  !     A  dirge  swells  through  the  cloudy  sky  ! 

The  Gamblers  Wife.  Coates. 

3.         The  shard-borne  beetle  with  its  drowsy  hums, 
Hath  rung  night's  yawning  peal. 

Macbeth,  Act  III.,  Sc.  2.  Shakespeare. 

4-  There  crept 

A  little,  noiseless  noise  among  the  leaves, 
Born  of  the  very  sigh  that  silence  heaves. 

5.  And  her  step  was  light  and  airy 
As  the  tripping  of  a  fairy  ; 

When  she  spoke,  you  thought,  each  minute, 
'Twas  the  trilling  of  a  linnet ; 
When  she  sang,  you  heard  a  gush 
Of  full-voiced  sweetness  like  a  thrush. 

Magdalena.  J.  F.  Waller. 

6.  With  many  a  weary  step,  and  many  a  groan, 
Up  the  high  hill  he  heaves  a  huge,  round  stone. 

The  Odyssey,  XI, ,  726.  Hotter. 

7.  Through  moss  and  through  brake 
It  runs  and  it  creeps, 

For  a  while,  till  it  sleeps 
In  its  own  little  lake. 

And  thence  at  departing, 
Awakening  and  starting, 
It  runs  through  the  reeds 
And  away  it  proceeds, 
Through  meadow  and  glade, 
In  sun  and  in  shade, 
And  through  the  wood-shelter, 

Among  crags  in  its  flurry, 
Helter-skelter, 

Hurry-skurry. 

The  Cataract  of  Lodore.  Southey 


204  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

8.  On  a  sudden  open  fly 

With  impetuous  recoil  and  jarring  sound, 
The  infernal  gates,  and  on  their  hinges  grate 
Harsh  thunder  ! 

Paradise  Lost,  Book  II.  Milton, 

9.  Two  craggy  rocks,  projecting  from  the  main, 
The  roaring  wind's  tempestuous  rage  restrain  ; 
Within,  the  waves  in  softer  murmurs  glide, 
And  ships  secure  without  their  halsers  ride. 

Odyssey,  III.,  118.  Pope's  Tr. 

10.  Soft  is  the  strain  when  Zephyr  gently  blows, 

And  the  smooth  stream  in  smoother  numbers  flows  ; 
But  when  loud  surges  lash  the  sounding  shore, 
The  hoarse,  rough  voice  should  like  the  torrent  roar. 
When  Ajax  strives  some  rock's  vast  weight  to  throw, 
The  line  too  labors,  and  the  words  move  slow  ; 
Not  so  when  swift  Camilla  scours  the  plain, 
Flies  o'er  th'  unbending   corn,  and   skims   along  the 
main. 

Essay  on  Criticism,  Part  II.  Pope. 

ii.  Dire  Scylla  there  a  scene  of  horror  forms, 

And  here  Charybdis  fills  the  deep  with  storms  ; 
When  the  tide  rushes  from  her  rumbling  caves, 
The  rough  rock  roars  ;  tumultuous  boil  the  waves. 

The  Iliad.  Pofis  Tr. 


RHYTHMUS  AND  MELODY. 

RHYTHMUS  and  Melody  are  important  factors  in  the 
expressive  rendering  of  poetry  and  well  written  prose. 

Rhythmus  is  mainly  dependent  upon  accent ;  Melody, 
upon  modulation. 

Rhythmus  is  not  "sing  song, " — a  common  fault  in  the 
reading  of  poetry  that  should  be  avoided.  It  is  that 
gliding  movement,  noticeable  in  well  spoken  language, 
that  gives  melody  to  speech. 

Rhythmus  and  Melody  are  further  explained  and 
illustrated  under  their  more  practical  heading, 

MEASURE  OF  SPEECH  : — 

The  alternate  heavy  and  light  action  of  the  voice  run- 
ning through  all  speech,  is  caused  by  a  regular  action 
and  reaction  of  the  larynx,  a  phenomenon  peculiar  to 
all  muscular  effort.  In  the  case  of  the  larynx,  it  is 
produced  "  by  a  slight  but  decided  action  between  the 
thyroid  and  cricoid  cartilages,  which  occasions  an  alter- 
nate tension  and  relaxation  of  the  vocal  cords."  In 
words,  we  recognize  it  in  the  accented  and  unaccented 
syllables  ;  in  sentences,  in  the  percussive  and  remiss  ac- 
tion of  the  voice  in  what  may  be  called  speech-words. 
A  speech- word  may  be  one  word  or  several  words  over 
which  the  voice  is  carried  by  a  single  impulse. 

The  percussive  action  of  the  voice  corresponds  to  ac- 
cent j  the  remiss  action  to  unaccent^zs  illustrated  in  the 
following  words  and  sentences. 


206  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

The  accent  is  marked  thus  (*)  ;  the  unaccent,  thus  (-). 

1.  in'-ter-est. 

*  _     _ 
% 

in'-ter-est-ed. 

*  _____ 

in'-ter-est-ed-ness. 

* 

2.  Land-of-the  |  west. 

*       _    _          * 

3.  Down  in  the  |  valley  the  |  distant  lights  |  quiver, 

*—     —         *_._        *_         _  *_ 

Gilding  the  |  hard  frozen  |  face  of  the  |  river. 
*__         *      _     _         *__       *   _ 

Measure  of  speech  reveals  the  close  analogy  existing 
between  speech  and  song. 

Rhythmus,  as  seen,  divides  language  into  speech- 
words  of  about  equal  lengths,  corresponding  to  measure 
m  music.  The  percussive  action  of  the  voice,  as  with 
accent  in  music,  falls  upon  the  first  syllable  of  the 
speech-word  or  measure.  The  pauses  in  speech  cor- 
respond to  the  rests  in  music. 

The  markings  of  the  following  examples  should  not 
be  regarded  as  absolute,  but  relative.  The  notations 
would  vary  with  the  different  readings  and  the  different 
interpretations  that  might  be  given. 

In  reading  the  marked  paragraphs  below,  do  not  try 
too  hard.  Too  great  an  effort  may  defeat  your  pur- 
pose. Read  the  lines  easily,  glidingly,  naturally,  and 
you  will  find  that  the  rhythmus,  melody  and  movement 
will  more  nearly  accord  with  the  notations  given. 

The  practice  of  exercises  in  Measure  of  Speech  will 
encourage  and  develop  a  gliding  movement,  that  wilJ 


RHYTHMUS    AND    MELODY.  207 

counteract  the  tendency  toward  pronouncing  the  words 
of  a  sentence  as  though  they  were  separate  and  of  equal 
importance. 

In  the  following  exercises,  the  rests  are  represented 
thus  (7),  and  the  measures  are  separated  by  the  "  bar  " 
(  |  ),  as  in  music  : 

I.  7  On  |  Linden,  |  77  |  7  when  the  |  sun  was  |  low,  | 

*  _        *    _  *__        *_*_ 

All  7  |  bloodless  |  77  |  lay  the  un-  |  trodden  |  snow,  | 
*_        *..  *__         *      _       *  - 

77  |  7  And  |  dark  as  |  winter  |  7  was  the  |  flow 
*      _          *      _        *_*__*_ 

7  Of  |  Iser  |  rolling  |  rapidly.  |  77  I  77  I 
*  _       *_       *    _        *__ 

7  But  |  Linden  |  77  |  saw  an-     other  |  sight  | 


7  When  the  |  drums  |  beat  |  7  at  |  dead  of  |  night,  | 

*  _        *  _       *_*_        #_*_ 

7  Com-  |  manding  |  fires  of  |  death     7  to  |  light  | 

*  *  *_*_*_*_ 

7  The  |  darkness  |  7  of  her  |  scenery. 
*    _  •*     __        #__          *  _  _ 

Hohenlinden.  Campbell. 

2.  O,  7  |  green  was  the  |  corn  |  7  as  I  |  rode  on  my  |  way,  | 

*  _        *        __        *_*__      *__        * 

7  And  |  bright  was  the  |  dew  |  7  on  the  |  blossoms  of  | 

*  _  *         _      _         #_      *  _    _          *      _      _ 

May,  | 

*  _ 

7  And  |  dark  was  the  |  sycamore's  |  shade  to  be-  |  hold,  | 

*_  *       __           *__  *__        *_ 

7  And  the  |  oak's  tender  |  leaves  |  7  were  of  |  em'rald 
*__          *        __  *        *      —      _*_ 

and  |  gold. 
_        *  _ 

A  Slimmer  Journey.  Reginald  Hebcr. 


208  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

3.  7  I  |  sift  the  |  snow  |  7  on  the  |  mountain  be-  |  low,  | 

7  And  the  |  great  |  pines  |  groan  a-  |  ghast  ;  77  | 
7  And  |  all  the     night  |  7  'tis  my  |  pillow  |  white,  | 
7  While  I  |  sleep  in  the  |  arms  of  the  |  blast. 

The  Cloud.  Shelley. 

4.  7    But  |  here's   a  |  parchment  j  7  with   the  |  seal   of  | 

Caesar  ;  |  77  j 
7  I  |  found  it  |  7  in  his  |  closet :  |  77  |  7  'tis  his  |  will  ; 

I  77  |  77  I 

Let  but  the  |  commons  |  hear  |  7  this  |  testament  |  77  | 
(Which,  7  |  pardon  me,  |  7  I  |  do  not  |  mean  to  |  read), 

-I  77  I 
77  |  7  And     they  would  |  go  |  7  and  |  kiss  |  dead  7  | 

Caesar's  |  wounds,  |  77  | 

7  And  |  dip  their  |  napkins     7  in  his  |  sacred  |  blood;  | 
77  |  Yea,  |  77  |  beg  a  |  hair  of  him  |  7  for  |  memory,  | 

77| 

And  7  |  dying,  |  77  |  mention  it  within  their  |  wills,  | 
77  |  7  Be-  |  queathing  it  |  7  as  a  |  rich  7  |  legacy  |  77  | 
Unto  their  |  issue. 

Julius  Ccesar,  Act  III.,  Sc.  2.  Shakespeare. 

5.  O,  |  7  that  my  |  heart  must  for-  |  ever  |  7  be  |  sighing  ! 

I  77  I 

O,  |  7  that  the  |  hopes  of  my  |  youth  |  7  must  be  |  dy- 
ing !  |  77  |  77  | 

Sunshine  and  |  shadow  |  7  with  |  shadows  in-  |  creas- 
ing ;  |  77  I 

Joy  mixed  with  |  sorrow,  |  7  the  |  sorrows  ne'er  |  ceas- 
ing. |  77  I  77  | 

Why  will  the  |  clouds  |  7  in  my  |  sky  |  7  be  so  |  lower- 
ing ?  |  77  | 

Why  will  the  |  skies  |  7  not  be  |  clear  |  7  after  |  show- 
ering ?  |  77  |  77  | 

Echoes  |  7  my  |  soul  7  not  a  |  hint  to  these  |  queries  f 
I  77  I 


RHYTHMUS  AND  MELODY.  209 

Question  on  |  question  |  7  my  |  troubled  7  |  heart  7  | 

wearies.  |  77  I  77  I 
O,  |  7  that  the  |  clouds  |  7  from  my  |  heaven  |  7  would 

I  open  !  |  77  | 
O,  |  7  for  some  |  love-laden  |  dove  |  7  with  |  love's  7  | 

token  ! 

6.  7  My  |  ancestors  |  came   from   old  |  Sparta,  |  7    and  | 
settled    a-  |  mong   the  |  vine-clad  |  rocks  |  7   and  |  citron  | 
groves  of  |  Cyra-  |  sella.  |  77  |  77  |  7  My  |  early  |  life  |  7  ran 

|  quiet  as  the  |  brooks  |  7  by  |  which    I  |  sported  ;  |  77  |  7 

and  |  when     7  at  |  noon,  |  7  I  |  gathered  the     sheep  |  7  be- 

|  neath  the  |  shade,  |  7  and  |  played  upon  the  |  shepherd's 

|  flute,  |  7  there  was  a  |  friend,  |  7  the  |  son  of  a  |  neighbor, 

|  7  to  j  join  me  in  the  |  pastime.  |  77  |  77  |  7  We  |  led  our  | 

flocks  to  the  |  same  |  pasture  |  7  and  par-  |  took  to-  |  gether 

|  7  our  |  rustic  |  meal. 

Spartacus.  Kellogg. 

7.  7   And  he  |  showed  me  a  |  pure  j  river  of  |  water  of  | 
life,  |  77  |  clear  as  |  crystal,  |  7  pro-  |  ceeding  |  out  of  the  | 
throne  of  |  God  |  7  and  of  the  |  Lamb.  |  77  |  77  |  7  In  the  j 
midst  of  the  |  street  of  it,  |  7  and  on  |  either     side  of  the  | 
river,  |  7    was  |  there   the  |  tree  of    life,  |  7  which  |  bare  | 
twelve  |  manner    of  |  fruits,  |  7    and  |  yielded    her  |  fruit  | 
every  |  month  :  |  77  |  7  and  the  |  leaves  of  the  |  tree  |  7  were 
for  the  |  healing  of  the  |  nations. 

Revelation,  xxii.  i  and  2. 

8.  Then  read  from  the  treasured  volume 

The  poem  of  thy  choice, 
And  lend  to  the  rhyme  of  the  poet 
The  beauty  of  thy  voice. 

And  the  night  shall  be  filled  with  music, 
And  the  cares,  that  infest  the  day, 

Shall  fold  their  tents,  like  the  Arabs, 
And  as  silently  steal  away. 

Day  is.  Done.  Longfellow. 

14 


210  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

9.  Gone,  art  thou,  Marion,  Marion  Moore  ! 

Gone,  like  the  breeze  o'er  the  billow  that  bloweth  ; 
Gone,  like  the  rill  to  the  ocean  that  floweth  ; 
Gone,  as  the  day  from  the  gray  mountain  goeth ; 
Darkness  behind  thee,  but  glory  before. 

Marion  Moore.  Jos.  G.  Clark. 

10.  Now  the  world  slopes  away  to  the  afternoon  sun — 
Steady  one  !  steady  all !  The  down  grade  has  begun. 
Let  the  engines  take  breath,  they  have  nothing  to  do, 
For  the  law  that  swings  worlds  will  whirl  the  train 

through. 

Streams  of  fire  from  the  wheels, 
Like  flashes  from  the  fountains  ; 

And  the  dizzy  train  reels 

As  it  swoops  down  the  mountains  : 

And  fiercer  and  faster 
As  if  demons  drove  tandem 

Engines  "  Death  "  and  "  Disaster  !  " 

From  dumb  Winter  to  Spring  in  one  wonderful  hour  ; 
From  Nevada's  white  wing  to  Creation  in  flower ! 
December  at  morning  tossing  wild  in  its  might — 
A  June  without  warning  and  blown  roses  at  night ! 

Overland  Train.  Benj.  F,  Taylor- 


STYLE. 

But  when  he  speaks,  what  Elocution  flows ! 
Soft  as  the  fleeces  of  descending  snows : 
The  copious  accents  fall  with  easy  art, 
Melting  they  fall,  and  sink  into  the  heart. 
Iliad,  Book  III.  Homer  [Pope's  Tr.] 

THE  Colloquial  constitutes  the  basis  of  all  other 
styles.  It  is  the  golden  thread  that  runs  through  the 
warp  and  woof  of  speech.  It  is  to  this  that  the  atten- 
tion of  the  student  should  first  be  called. 

More  practice  is  needed  in  the  colloquial  style  of 
reading  and  speaking  than  in  any  other.  There  is  far 
too  much  declaiming  in  the  declamatory,  too  much 
of  the  dramatic  in  drama,  and  not  enough  talking  any- 
where. 

In  impassioned  expression,  the  colloquial  may  be 
lost  for  awhile,  like  some  of  the  streams  of  California, 
to  reappear  farther  down  the  channel  of  thought. 

In  many  of  the  paragraphs  given  below,  in  which 
the  colloquial  predominates,  other  styles  that  contribute 
to  the  mixed  emotions  frequently  appear,  and  should 
not  be  ignored. 

The  Colloquial  prevails  in  the  Narrative,  the  De- 
scriptive, the  Didactic,  and  in  Dialogue  and  Drama. 

The  Parliamentary  and  Declamatory  styles  predom- 
inate in  Deliberative  Address,  in  Recitation,  and  in 
Oratory. 

In  the  portrayal  of  the  Passions,  the  Dramatic  style 
prevails,  and  is  largely  characterized  by  "  Action." 


212  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

Personation  is  the  representing  of  different  charac- 
ters. Its  scope  comprises  and  utilizes  all  the  different 
styles  employed  in  vocal  and  physical  expression. 

In  exemplifying  the  various  styles,  the  student 
should  first  study  each  selection  until  the  general  spirit, 
the  pervading  thought  and  emotion  of  the  passage, 
is  well  understood  and  felt,  and  then  he  should  en- 
deavor to  render  it  in  the  most  natural  manner  consist- 
ent with  the  required  expression. 

These  directions  should  be  followed  in  the  study 
and  practice  of  all  the  exercises  given  for  elocutionary 
drill. 

The  different  emotions  embodied  in  language  should 
be  studied  and  practiced  by  the  student  until  the 
words — and  the  emotions,  if  possible — become  his  own, 
and  will  prompt  to  the  same  expression  as  would  sim- 
ilar passions  uncoerced  by  the  will.  This  is  the  high- 
est attainment  in  the  art,  and  one  which  every  student 
of  elocution  should  aim  to  reach. 

That  this  ideal  standard  may  be  attained,  is  clearly 
shown  in  the  following  lines  from  Hamlet  after  his  in- 
terview with  the  players  : 

Is  it  not  monstrous,  that  this  player  here, 
But  in  a  fiction,  in  a  dream  of  passion, 
Could  force  his  soul  so  to  his  own  conceit, 
That  from  her  workings,  all  his  visage  wann'd  ; 
Tears  in  his  eyes,  distraction  in  's  aspect, 
A  broken  voice,  and  his  whole  function  suiting 
With  forms  to  his  conceit  ? 

I.      Now,  my  co-mates,  and  brothers  in  exile, 

Hath  not  old  custom  made  this  life  more  sweet 
Than  that  of  painted  pomp  ?     Are  not  these  woods 
More  free  from  peril  than  the  envious  court  ? 


STYLE.  213 

Here  feel  we  but  the  penalty  of  Adam, 
The  season's  difference, — as,  the  icy  fang, 
The  churlish  chiding  of  the  winter's  wind, 
Which  when  it  bites  and  blows  upon  my  body, 
Even  till  I  shrink  with  cold,  I  smile  and  say 
"  This  is  no  flattery,— these  are  counselors 
That  feelingly  persuade  me  what  I  am." 
Sweet  are  the  uses  of  adversity  ; 
Which,  like  the  toad,  ugly  and  venomous, 
Wears  yet  a  precious  jewel  in  his  head  : 
And  this  our  life,  exempt  from  public  haunt, 
Finds  tongues  in  trees,  books  in  the  running  brooks, 
Sermons  in  stones,  and  good  in  everything. 

As  You  Like  It,  Act  //.,  Sc.  i.  Shakespeare. 

2.  Laugh,  if  you  like  to  !     Laugh  till  you're  gray  ; 
But  I  guess  you'd  laugh  another  way 

If  you'd  hit  your  toe,  and  fallen  like  me, 

And  cut  a  bloody  gash  in  your  knee, 

And  bumped  your  nose  and  bruised  your  shin, 

Tumbled  over  the  rolling-pin 

That  rolled  to  the  floor  in  the  awful  din 

That  followed  the  fall  of  the  row  of  tin 

That  stood  upon  the  dresser. 

Bitter  Sweet.  Holland. 

3.  "  Hush,  Rip,"  cried  she,  "hush,  you  little  fool  ;  the  old 
man  won't  hurt  you."     The  name  of  the  child,  the  air  of  the 
mother,  the  tone  of  her  voice,  all  awakened  a  train  of  recol- 
lections in  his  mind.     "What  is  your  name,   my  good  wo- 
man ?  "  asked  he. 

"Judith  Gardenier." 

"  And  your  father's  name  ?  " 

"Ah,  poor  man,  Rip  Van  Winkle  was  his  name,  but  it's 
twenty  years  since  he  went  away  from  home  with  his  gun, 
and  never  has  been  heard  of  since, — his  dog  came  home 
without  him  ;  but  whether  he  shot  himself,  or  was  carried 


214  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

away  by  the  Indians,  nobody  can  tell.  I  was  then  but  a 
little  girl." 

Rip  had  but  one  question  more  to  ask  ;  but  he  put  it 
with  a  faltering  voice  : 

"  Where's  your  mother  ?  " 

"  Oh,  she  too  had  died  but  a  short  time  since  ;  she  broke 
a  blood-vessel  in  a  fit  of  passion  at  a  New  England  ped- 
dler." 

There  was  a  drop  of  comfort,  at  least,  in  this  intelligence. 
The  honest  man  could  contain  himself  no  longer.  He  caught 
his  daughter  and  her  child  in  his  arms.  "  I  am  your  father  !  " 
cried  he — "  Young  Rip  Van  Winkle  once — old  Rip  Van 
Winkle  now  ! — Does  nobody  know  poor  Rip  Van  Winkle  ?  " 

Rip  Van  Winkle.  Irving. 

4.  Oh  !  you'd  admire 
To  see  Robin  now,  he's  as  bright  as  a  dime, 
Deep  in  some  mischief,  too,  most  of  the  time. 
Tom,  it  was,  saved  him.     Now  isn't  it  true, 
Tom's  the  best  fellow  that  ever  you  knew  ? 
There's  Robin  now — see  !  he's  strong  as  a  log — 
And  there  comes  Tom,  too, — 

Yes,  Tom  was  our  dog. 

Tom.  C.  F.  Woolson. 

5.  "  Oh,  father  !  I  hear  the  sound  of  guns, 

Oh,  say,  what  may  it  be  ?  " 
"Some  ship  in  distress  that  cannot  live 
In  such  an  angry  sea  ! '' 

Wreck  of  the  Hesperus.  Longfellow 

6.  And  there  they  hid  : 
And  Ruben  slid 

The  fastenings  back,  and  the  door  undid. 

"  Keep  dark  !  "  said  he, 
"  While  I  squint  and  see  what  the'  is  to  see. 
#•  #  *  *  * 

"  Hush  ! "  Ruben  said, 
"  He's  up  in  the  shed  ! 
He's  opened  the  winder, — I  see  his  head. 


STYLE.  215 

He  stretches  it  out, 

And  pokes  it  about, 
Looking  to  see  if  the  coast  is  clear, 

An'  anybody  near  ; — 
Guess  he  don'o  who's  hid  in  here  !  " 

Darius  Green.  Trowbridge. 

7.  "  You  think  because  my  life  is  rude, 

I  take  no  note  of  sweetness  ; 
I  tell  you  love  has  naught  to  do 
With  meetness  or  unmeetness. 

"  Itself  its  best  excuse,  it  asks 

No  leave  of  pride  or  fashion, 
When  silken  gown  or  homespun  frock 
It  stirs  with  throbs  of  passion. 

*  •*  *  *  *  •*  # 

"  I  dare  your  pity  or  your  scorn, 

With  pride  your  own  exceeding  ; 
I  fling  my  heart  into  your  lap 
Without  a  word  of  pleading." 

The  Wife.  Whittier. 

8.  The  perfection  of  the  providence  for  childhood  is  easily 
acknowledged.     Welcome  to  the  parents  the  puny  struggler, 
strong  in  his  weakness,  his  little  arms  more  irresistible  than 
the  soldier's,  his  lips  touched  with  persuasion  which  Chatham 
and  Pericles  in  manhood  had  not.     His  unaffected  lamenta- 
tions when  he  lifts  up  his  voice  on  high,  or,  more  beautiful, 
the  sobbing  child, — the  face  all  liquid  grief,  as  he  tries  to 
swallow  his  vexation, — soften  all  hearts  to  pity,  and  to  mirth- 
ful and  clamorous  compassion.     The  small  despot  asks  so 
little  that  all  reason  and  all  nature  are  on  his  side.     All  day, 
between  his  three  or  four  sleeps,  he  coos  like  a  pigeon-house, 
sputters,  and  spurs,  and  puts  on  his  faces  of  importance  ; 
and  when  he  fasts,  the  little  Pharisee  fails  not  to  sound  his 
trumpet  before  him. 

Essay  on  Domestic  Life.  Emerson. 


2l6  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

9.  So  spoke  the  maiden  Sella,  with  large  tears 
Standing  in  her  mild  blue  eyes,  and  in  the  porch 
Replaced  the  slippers.     Autumn  came  and  went  ; 
The  winter  passed  ;  another  summer  warmed 
The  quiet  pools  ;  another  autumn  tinged 

The  grape  with  red,  yet,  while  it  hung  unplucked, 

The  mother  ere  her  time  was  carried  forth 

To  sleep  among  the  solitary  hills. 

A  long  still  sadness  settled  on  that  home 

Among  the  mountains.     The  stern  father  there 

Wept  with  his  children,  and  grew  soft  of  heart, 

And  Sella,  and  the  brothers  twain,  and  one 

Younger  than  they,  a  sister  fair  and  shy, 

Strewed  the  new  grave  with  flowers,  and  round  it  set 

Shrubs  that  all  winter  held  their  lively  green. 

Sella.  Bryant. 

10.  Now,  Caudle,  you   hear  me  ;    it  isn't   often    I   speak. 
Pray,  do  you  know  what  month   it  is  ?     And   did   you   see 
how  the  children  looked  at  church  to-day  ? — like  nobody 
else's  children  ! 

What  was  the  matter  with  them  ?  Oh,  Caudle  !  how 
can  you  ask  ?  Weren't  they  all  in  their  thick  merinos  and 
beaver  bonnets  ? 

I'm  always  wanting  money  for  clothes  ?  How  can  you 
say  that  ?  I'm  sure  there  are  no  children  in  the  world  that 
cost  their  father  so  little  ;  but  that's  it,  the  less  a  poor 
woman  does  upon,  the  less  she  may. 

Now,  Caudle  dear  !  what  a  man  you  are  !  I  know  you 
will  give  me  the  money,  because,  after  all,  I  think  you  love 
your  children,  and  like  to  see  'em  well-dressed.  It's  only 
natural  that  a  father  should. 

Caudle  Lectures.  Douglas  W.  Jerrold* 

11.  Come,  let  us  plant  the  apple-tree  ! 
Cleave  the  tough  greensward  with  the  spade ; 
Wide  let  its  hollow  bed  be  made  ; 


STYLE.  217 

There  gently  lay  the  roots,  and  there 
Sift  the  dark  mold  with  kindly  care, 

And  press  it  o'er  them  tenderly, 
As  round  the  sleeping  infant's  feet 
We  softly  fold  the  cradle-sheet ; 

So  plant  we  the  apple-tree. 
******** 

*'  Who  planted  this  old  apple-tree  ?  *' 
The  children  of  that  distant  day 
Thus  to  some  aged  man  shall  say ; 
And,  gazing  on  its  mossy  stem, 
The  gray-haired  man  shall  answer  them  : 

"  A  poet  of  the  land  was  he, 
Born  in  the  rude  but  good  old  times ; 
'Tis  said  he  made  some  quaint  old  rhymes 

On  planting  the  apple-tree." 

The  Planting  of  the  Apple-  Tree.  Bryant. 

12.  Then  the  corporal,  our  old  cripple  (he  would  swear 

sometimes  and  tipple), — 

He  had  heard  the  bullets  whistle  (in  the  old  French 
war)  before, — 

Calls  out  in  words  of  jeering,  just  as  if  they  all  were 
hearing — 

And  his  wooden  leg  thumps  fiercely  on  the  dusty  bel- 
fry floor : — 

"Oh  !  fire  away,  ye  villains,   and   earn  King  George's 
shillin's, 

But  ye'll  waste  a  ton  of  powder  afore  a  '  rebel '  falls  ; 

You  may  bang  the  dirt  and  welcome,  they're  as  safe 
as  Dan'l  Malcolm 

Ten   foot   beneath   the  gravestone  that  you've  splin- 
tered with  your  balls  !  " 

Grandmother's  Story  of  Bunker  Hill.  Holmes. 

13.  Now  in  an  ancient  town,  that  had  sunk  low, — 
Trade  having  drifted  from  it  while  there  stayed 
Too  many,  that  it  erst  had  fed,  behind, — 
There  walked  a  curate  once  at  early  day. 


2l8  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

It  was  summer  time  ;  but  summer  air 
Came  never,  in  its  sweetness,  down  that  dark 
And  crowded  alley, — never  reached  the  door 
Whereat  he  stopped, — the  sordid,  shattered  door. 
He  paused,  and,  looking  right  and  left,  beheld 
Dirt  and  decay,  the  lowering  tenements 
That  leaned  toward  each  other;   broken  panes 
Bulging  with  rags,  and  grim  with  old  neglect  ; 
And  reeking  hills  of  formless  refuse,  heaped 
To  fade  and  fester  in  a  stagnant  air. 

The  Monitions  of  the  Unseen.  Jean  Ingelmv* 

14.    It  was  then  that  Matilda  herself  seized  the  hand 
Of  Lucile  in  her  own,  and  uplifted  her  ;  and 
Thus  together  they  entered  the  house. 

'Twas  the  room 
Of  Matilda. 

The  languid  and  delicate  gloom 
Of  a  lamp  of  pure  white  alabaster,  aloft 
From  the  ceiling  suspended,  around  it  slept  soft. 
The  casement  oped  into  the  garden.      The  pale, 
Cool  moonlight  stream'd  through  it.     One  lone 
Nightingale  sung  aloof  in  the  laurels. 

And  here,  side  by  side, 

Hand  in  hand,  the  two  women  sat  down  undescried, 
Save  by  guardian  angels. 

They 
Look'd  indeed,  like  two  flowers    upon   one  drooping 

stem, 

In  the  soft  light  that  tenderly  rested  on  them. 
All  that  soul  said  to  soul  in  that  chamber,  who  knows  ? 
All  that  heart  gained  from  heart  ? 

Leave  the  lily,  the  rose, 

Undisturbed  with  their  secret  within  them.     For  who 
To  the  heart  of  the  floweret  can  follow  the  dew  ? 

You  heard 

Pass'd  from  earth  up  to  heaven  the  happy  watch  word, 
"  All  is  well!  all  is  well  !" 

Lucile.  Buhver. 


STYLE.  219 

15.  The  quality  of  mercy  is  not  strain'd  ; 

It  droppeth  as  the  gentle  rain  from  heaven 

Upon  the  place  beneath  ;  it  is  twice  blest ; — 

It  blesseth  him  that  gives,  and  him  that  takes  ; 

'Tis  mightiest  in  the  mightiest  ;  it  becomes 

The  throned  monarch  better  than  his  crown  ; 

His  scepter  shows  the  force  of  temporal  power, 

The  attribute  to  awe  and  majesty, 

Wherein  doth  sit  the  dread  and  fear  of  kings  ; 

But  mercy  is  above  this  sceptered  sway, 

It  is  enthroned  in  the  hearts  of  kings, 

It  is  an  attribute  to  God  himself  ; 

And  earthly  power  doth  then  show  likest  God's 

When  mercy  seasons  justice.     Therefore,  Jew, 

Though  justice  be  thy  plea,  consider  this — 

That,  in  the  course  of  justice,  none  of  us 

Should  see  salvation  :  we  do  pray  for  mercy  ; 

And  that  same  prayer  doth  teach  us  all  to  render 

The  deeds  of  mercy.     I  have  spoke  thus  much 

To  mitigate  the  justice  of  thy  plea  ; 

Which  if  thou  follow,  this  strict  court  of  Venice 

Must  needs  give  sentence  'gainst  the  merchant  there. 

Merchant  of  Venice,  Act  iv.,  Sc.  i.  Shakespeare. 

16.  Oh,  my  soul's  joy  ! 
If  after  every  tempest  come  such  calms, 

May  the  winds  blow  till  they  have  wakened  death  ! 

And  let  the  laboring  bark  climb  hills  of  seas, 

Olympus-high  ;  and  duck  again  as  low 

As  hell's  from  heaven.     If  it  were  now  to  die, 

'Twere  now  to  be  most  happy  ;  for,  I  fear, 

My  soul  hath  her  content  so  absolute, 

That  not  another  comfort  like  to  this 

Succeeds  in  unknown  fate. 

Othello,  Act  II. ,    Sc.  i.  Shakespeare. 

17.  My  voice  is  still  for  war  ! 
Gods  !  can  a  Roman  senate  long  debate, 
Which  of  the  two  to  choose — slavery  or  death  ? 


220  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

No  !  let  us  rise  at  once,  gird  on  our  swords, 
And,  at  the  head  of  our  remaining  troops, 
Attack  the  foe  ;  break  through  the  thick  array 
Of  his  thronged  legions,  and  charge  home  upon  him. 
Perhaps  some  arm,  more  lucky  than  the  rest, 
May  reach  his  heart,  and  free  the  world  from  bondage. 
Rise,  fathers,  rise  !  'tis  Rome  demands  your  help  ; 
Rise,  and  avenge  her  slaughtered  citizens, 
Or  share  their  fate  !     The  slain  of  half  her  senate 
Enrich  the  fields  of  Thessaly,  while  we 
Sit  here  deliberating  in  cold  debates, 
If  we  should  sacrifice  our  lives  to  honor, 
Or  wear  them  out  in  servitude  and  chains. 
Rouse  up,  for  shame  !   Our  brothers  of  Pharsalia 
Point  at  their  wounds,  and  cry  aloud,  "  To  battle  !" 

Cato,  Act  77.,  Sc.  i.  Addison, 

1 8.    What  is  't  to  me,  if  all  have  stooped  in  turn  ! 

Does  fellowship  in  chains  make  bondage  proud  ? 

Does  the  plague  lose  its  venom  if  it  taint 

My  brother  with  thyself  ?     Is  't  victory, 

If  I  but  find  stretched  by  my  bleeding  side 

All  who  came  with  me  in  the  golden  morn, 

And  shouted  as  my  banner  met  the  sun  ? 

I  cannot  think  on't.     There's  no  faith  in  earth  ! 

The  very  men  with  whom  I  walked  through  life, 

Nay,  till  within  this  hour,  in  all  the  bonds 

Of  courtesy  and  high  companionship, 

They  all  deserted  me  ;  Metellus,  Scipio, 

^milius,  Cato,  even  my  kinsman  Caesar. 

All  the  chief  names  and  senators  of  Rome, 

This  day,  as  if  the  heavens  had  stamped  me  black, 

Turned  on  their  heel,  just  at  the  point  of  fate  ; 

Left  me  a  mockery,  in  the  rabble's  midst, 

And  followed  their  plebeian  consul,  Cicero  ! 

This  was  the  day  to  which  I  looked  through  life  ; 

And  it  has  failed  me — vanished  from  my  grasp, 

Like  air. 

Tragedy  of  Catiline.  Croiy* 


STYLE.  221 

19.  Begone  then,  insolent  ! 

Why  dost  thou  stand  and  gaze  upon  me  thus  ? 
Ay  !  watch  the  features  well  that  threaten  thee 
With  fraud  and  danger  !     In  the  wilderness 
They  shall  avenge  me — in  the  hour  of  want 
Rise  on  thy  view,  and  make  thee  feel 
How  innocent  I  am  : 

And  this  remembered  cowardice  and  insult, 
With  a  more  painful  shame,  will  burn  thy  cheek, 
Than  now  heats  mine  with  anger. 

Thalaba  the  Destroyer.  South  ey, 

20.  Alas  !  how  light  a  cause  may  move 
Dissension  between  hearts  that  love  ! — 
Hearts  that  the  world  in  vain  had  tried, 
And  sorrow  but  more  closely  tied  ! 

That  stood  the  storm — when  waves  were  rough — 

Yet,  in  a  sunny  hour  fall  off; — 

Like  ships  that  have  gone  down  at  sea, 

When  heaven  was  all  tranquillity  ! 

A  something,  light  as  air — a  look, 

A  word  unkind,  or  wrongly  taken — 
Oh  !  Love,  that  tempests  never  shook, 

A  breath,  a  touch  like  this,  hath  shaken. 
And  ruder  words  will  soon  rush  in, 
To  spread  the  breach  that  words  begin  ; — 
And  eyes  forget  the  gentle  ray 
They  wore  in  courtship's  smiling  day  ; — 
And  voices  lose  the  tone  that  shed 
A  tenderness  round  all  they  said, 
Till, — fast  declining — one  by  one, 
The  sweetnesses  of  Love  are  gone  : — 
And  hearts  so  lately  mingled  seem 
Like  broken  clouds, — or  like  the  stream, 
That  smiling  left  the  mountain's  brow, 

As  though  its  waters  ne'er  could  sever, 
Yet — ere  it  reach  the  plains  below — 

Breaks  into  floods  that  part  forever. 

The  Light  of  the  Harem.  Moore- 


222  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

21.  How  ill  this  taper  burns  ! — Ha  !  who  comes  here  ? 
I  think  it  is  the  weakness  of  my  eyes, 

That  shapes  this  monstrous  apparition — 

It  comes  upon  me  : — art  thou  any  thing  ? 

Art  thou  some  god,  some  angel,  or  some  devil, 

That  mak'st  my  blood  cold,  and  my  hair  to  stand  ? 

Speak  to  me,  what  thou  art, 

Julius  C&sar,  Act  IV.,  Sc.  3.  Shakespeare. 

22.  I  do  mistrust  thee,  woman !  and  each  word 
Of  thine  stamps  truth  on  all  suspicion  heard. 
Borne  in  his  arms  through  fire  from  yon  Serai — 
Say,  wert  thou  lingering  there  with  him  to  fly  ? 
Thou  need'st  not  answer,  thy  confession  speaks, 
Already  reddening  on  thy  guilty  cheeks  ! 
Then,  lovely  dame,  bethink  thee  !  and  beware  ; 
'Tis  not  his  life  alone  may  claim  such  care  ; 
Another  word — and — nay — I  need  no  more. 
Accursed  was  the  moment  when  he  bore 

Thee  from  the  flames,  which  better  far — but — no — 
I  then  had  mourned  thee  with  a  lover's  woe — 
Now  't  is  thy  lord  that  warns,  deceitful  thing ! 
Know'st  thou  that  I  can  clip  thy  wanton  wing  ? 
In  words  alone  I  am  not  wont  to  chafe  : 
Look  to  thyself,  nor  deem  thy  falsehood  safe  ! 

The  Corsair,  Canto  HI.  Byron. 

23.  What  cutting  blast !  and  he  can  scarcely  crawl : 
He  freezes  as  he  moves, — he  dies  if  he  should  fall ! 
With  cruel  fierceness  drives  this  icy  sleet ; 

And  must  a  Christian  perish  in  the  street, 

In  sight  of  Christians  ? — There  !  at  last,  he  lies, — 

Nor,  unsupported,  can  he  ever  rise. 

The  Village.  Crabbe, 

24.  How  like  a  fawning  publican  he  looks  ! 
I  hate  him,  for  he  is  a  Christian  : 

But  more,  for  that,  in  low  simplicity, 

He  lends  out  money  gratis,  and  brings  down 


STYLE.  223 

The  rate  of  usance,  here  with  us  in  Venice. 
If  I  can  catch  him  once  upon  the  hip, 
I  will  feed  fat  the  ancient  grudge  I  bear  him. 
He  hates  our  sacred  nation  ;  and  he  rails, 
Even  there  where  merchants  most  do  congregate, 
On  me,  my  bargains,  and  my  well-won  thrift, 
Which  he  calls  interest.     Cursed  be  my  tribe 
If  I  forgive  him. 

Merchant  of  Venice,  Act  L,  Sc.  3.  Shakespeare* 

25.    Ye  ice-falls  !  ye  that  from  the  mountain's  brow 
Adown  enormous  ravines  slope  amain, — 
Torrents,  methinks,  that  heard  a  mighty  Voice, 
And  stopped  at  once  amid  their  maddest  plunge  ! 
Motionless  torrents  I-  silent  cataracts  ! 
Who  made  you  glorious  as  the  gates  of  Heaven 
Beneath  the  full  Moon  ?     Who  bade  the  Sun 
Clothe  you  with  rainbows?     Who,  with  living  flowers 
Of  loveliest  blue,  spread  garlands  at  your  feet  ? — 
God  !  the  torrents,  like  a  shout  of  nations, 
Answer  !  and  let  the  ice-plains  echo,  God  ! 
God  !   sing  ye   the    meadow-streams   with   gladsome 

voice  ! 

Ye  pine-groves,  with  your  soft  and  soul-like  sounds  ! 
And  they  too  have  a  voice,  yon  piles  of  snow, 
And  in  their  perilous  fall  shall  thunder,  God  ! 

Hymn  to  Mont  Blanc.  Coleridge. 


LANGUAGE    OF    THE    EMOTIONS 
AND    PASSIONS. 

THE  following  examples,  designed  to  illustrate  the 
more  important  Emotions  and  Passions  of  the  mind, 
have  been  compiled  with  much  care.  They  will  be 
found  an  excellent  and  profitable  review-practice  for 
the  student  who  has  gone  through  the  work  of  the  pre- 
ceding pages  with  the  thoroughness  prescribed. 

The  effective  rendering  of  the  passages  given  calls 
for  the  practical  application  of  all  the  important  prin- 
ciples of  vocal  and  physical  expression. 

While  the  emotions  and  passions  of  the  mind  usually 
seek  expression  in  a  complex  form, — that  is,  two  or 
more  united  and  blended  in  their  utterance, — there  is 
generally  one  that  predominates  and  characterizes  the 
expression. 

It  is  not  always  an  easy  matter  to  determine  which 
the  leading  emotion  or  passion  is.  Hence,  this  classifi- 
cation must  not  be  regarded  as  absolute,  nor  even  the 
best  that  might  be  made. 

A  careful  study  of  the  "  context  "  and  of  the  circum- 
stances under  which  the  words  were  supposed  to  have 
been  spoken,  will  greatly  aid  the  pupil  in  getting  a  cor- 
rect conception  of  the  emotion,  thought,  or  passion  to 
be  expressed.  To  facilitate  this  work,  the  source  of 
each  quotation  is  cited. 

Since  different  persons  (even  under  similar  circum- 
stances) will  express  their  feelings  differently,  owing 


LANGUAGE    OF    THE    EMOTIONS    AND    PASSIONS.    225 

largely  to  the  differences  of  temperament,  considerable 
latitude  may  be  allowed  for  "  individuality "  in  the 
rendering  of  many  of  the  following  passages  : 

Abstraction  :  To  be,  or  not  to  be,  that  is  the  question. 
Whether  'tis  nobler  in  the  mind,  to  suffer 
The  slings  and  arrows  of  outrageous  fortune, 
Or  to  take  arms  against  a  sea  of  troubles, 
And  by  opposing  end  them  ? 

Hamlet,  Act  III.,  Sc.  i.  Shakespeare. 

Admiration  ;  What  a  piece  of  work  is  man  !  How  noble 
in  reason  !  how  infinite  in  faculty  !  in  form  and  moving 
how  express  and  admirable  !  in  action  how  like  an  an- 
gel !  in  apprehension  how  like  a  god  !  the  beauty  of 
the  world  !  the  paragon  of  animals  ! 

Hamlet,  Act  II.,  Sc.  2.  Id. 

Adoration  :  Thou  art,  O  God  !  the  life  and  light 

Of  all  this  wondrous  world  we  see  ; 
Its  glow  by  day,  its  smile  by  night, 

Are  but  reflections  caught  from  Thee  ! 
Where'er  we  turn,  Thy  glories  shine, 
And  all  things  fair  and  bright  are  Thine  ! 

Sacred  Songs.  Moore. 

Advice  :  Cromwell,  I  charge  thee,  fling  away  ambition  : 

******* 

Love  thyself  last ;  cherish  those  hearts  that  hate  thee  : 

*  *  *  Be  just,  and  fear  not ; 

Let  all  the  ends  thou  aim'st  at  be  thy  country's, 
Thy  God's,  and  truth's. 

Henry  VIII.,  Act  IIL,  Sc.  2.  Shakespeare. 

Affection  :  Rise,  my  children, 

For  ye  are  mine, — mine  both, — and  in  your  sweet 
And  young  delight,  *  *  * 

My  own  lost  youth  breathes  musical ! 

Richelieu,  Act  L,  Sc.  2.  Buliver* 

15 


226  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

Agony  :  Blow  me  about  in  winds,  roast  me  in  sulphur, 
Wash  me  in  steep  down  gulfs  of  liquid  fire — 
Oh,  Desdemona  !  Desdemona  !  dead  !  dead  !  oh  !  oh  ! 

Othello,  Act  F.,  Sc.  3.  Shakespeare. 

Amazement  :  Why,   look   you   there  !    look,  how   it   steals 
away  ! 

Hamlet,  Act  III.,  Sc.  4.  Id. 

Ambition  :  I'd  rack  thee,  though  1  knew 

A  thousand  lives  were  perishing  in  thine  ! 
What  were  ten  thousand  to  a  fame  like  mine  ! 

Parrhasius.  Willis. 

Anger  :  If  thou  dost  slander  her,  and  torture  me, 
Never  pray  more  :  abandon  all  remorse  ; 
On  horror's  head  horrors  accumulate. 
Do  deeds  to  make  heaven  weep,  all  earth  amazed  ; 
For  nothing  canst  thou  to  damnation  add, 
Greater  than  that. 

Othello,  Act  III.,  Sc.  3.  Shakespeare. 

Anxiety  :  Alack  !  I  am  afraid  they  have  awak'd, 

And  't  is  not  done.     The  attempt  and  not  the  deed 
Confounds  us.     Hark !  I  laid  their  daggers  ready  ; 
He  could  not  miss  'em.     Had  he  not  resembled 
My  father  as  he  slept,  I  had  done  't. — My  husband  ! 

Macbeth,  Act  II. ,  Sc.  2.  Id. 

Apparition  :  Is  this  a  dagger  which  I  see  before  me, 

The  handle  toward  my  hand  ? — Come,  let  me  clutch  thee. 
I  have  thee  not,  and  yet  I  see  thee  still  ! 

Macbeth ,  A  ct  II. ,  Sc.  i .  Id. 

Appeal :  Who  is  here  so  base  that  would  be  a  bondman  ? 
If  any,  speak  ;  for  him  have  I  offended.  Who  is  here 
so  rude  that  would  not  be  a  Roman  ?  If  any,  speak  ; 
for  him  have  I  offended.  Who  is  here  so  vile  that  will 
not  love  his  country  ?  If  any,  speak  ;  for  him  have  I 
offended.  I  pause  fora  reply. 

Julius  C&sar,   Act  III.,  Sc.  2.  Id 


LANGUAGE    OF    THE    EMOTIONS    AND    PASSIONS.    227 

Arrogance  :  I  have  no  brother,  I  am  like  no  brother  : 
*  *  *         I  am  myself  alone. 

Richard  III.  [French's  Edition] ,  A  ct    /.,  ^.3.  Id. 

Assertion  :  [Richelieu.']         This  is  scandalous, 
Shaming  your  birth  and  blood.     I  tell  you,  sir, 
That  you  must  pay  your  debts. 

Assent  :  \De  Mauprat.}          With  all  my  heart, 

My  lord.     Where  shall  I  lx>rrow,  then,  the  money  ? 

Ric\elieu,  Act  I.,  Sc.  2.  Buliver. 

Authority  :  Mark  where  she  stands  1 — around  her  form  I 

draw 

The  awful  circle  of  our  solemn  church  ! 
Set  but  a  foot  within  that  holy  ground, 
And  on  the  head — yea,  though  it  wore  a  crown — 
I  launch  the  curse  of  Rome  ! 

Id.,  Act  IV.,  Sc.  2.  Id. 

Awe  :  Silence,  how  dead  !  and  darkness,  how  profound ! 
Nor  eye,  nor  listening  ear,  an  object  finds  ; 
Creation  sleeps  ! 

Night  Thoughts.  Young. 

Braggart  :  I  am  a  rogue  if  I  were  not  at  half-sword  with  a 
dozen  of  them  two  hours  together.  I  have  'scaped  by  a 
miracle. 

K.  Henry  IV. ,  Pt.  I.,  Act  II. ,  Sc.  4.  Shakespeare. 

Boasting  :  Ah  !  were  I  younger — by  the  knightly  heart 
That  beats  beneath  these  priestly  robes,  I  would 
Have  pastime  with  these  cut-throats  ! 

Richelieu,  Act  II. ,  Sc.  2.  Bultver. 

Caution  :  Silence  ;  no  more  ;  go  closely  in  with  me, 
Much  danger  do  I  undergo  for  thee. 

King  John,  Act  IV.,  Sc.  i.  Shakespeare. 


228  VOICE   CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

Chagrin  :  Why  was  I  raised  the  meteor  of  the  world, 
Hung  in  the  skies,  and  blazing  as  I  travel'd, 
Till  all  my  fires  were  spent ;  and  then  cast  downward, 
To  be  trod  out  by  Cassar  ? 

A II  for  Love,  A  ct  I.  Dry  den. 

Cogitation  :  I'll  have  these  players 

Play  something  like  the  murder  of  my  father, 
Before  mine  uncle  :  I'll  observe  his  looks  ; 
I'll  tent  him  to  the  quick  ;  if  he  but  blench, 
I  know  my  course. 

Hamlet,  Act.  II.,  Sc.  2.  Shakespeare. 

Courage  :  "  Art  thou  a  friend  to  Roderick  ?  "     "  No  !  " 
"  Thou  darest  not  call  thyself  a  foe  ?  " — 
"  I  dare  !  to  him  and  all  the  band 

He  brings  to  aid  his  murderous  hand." 

Lady  of  the  Lake,  Canto  IV.  Scott. 

Command  :  The  game's  afoot ; 

Follow  your  spirit  :  and  upon  this  charge, 
Cry — God  for  Harry  !  England  !  and  Saint  George  ! 

Henry  V.,  Act  ///.,  Sc.  i.  Shakespeare. 

Contempt  :  Hence  !  rotten  thing,  or  I  shall  shake  thy  bones 
Out  of  thy  garments  ! 

Coriolan-us,  Act  111.,  Sc.  i.  Id. 

Defiance  :  Avaunt !  my  name  is  Richelieu — I  defy  thee  ! 

Richelieu,  A  ct  IV. ,  Sc.  z.  Bulwer. 

Defiant  Address  :  Whence  and   what  art  thou,    execrable 

shape ! 

That  dar'st,  though  grim  and  terrible,  advance 
Thy  miscreated  front  athwart  my  way 
To  yonder  gates  ?  through  them  I  mean  to  pass, 
That  be  assured,  without  leave  ask'd  of  thee  : 
Retire  or  taste  thy  folly  ;   and  learn  by  proof, 
Hell-born  !  not  to  contend  with  spirits  of  Heaven. 

Paradise  Lost,  Book  //.  Milton. 


LANGUAGE    OF    THE    EMOTIONS    AND    PASSIONS.    229 

Defiant  Reply  :  Back  to  thy  punishment, 

False  fugitive  !  and  to  thy  speed  add  wings  ; 
Lest  with  a  whip  of  scorpions  I  pursue 
Thy  lingering  ;  or  with  one  stroke  of  this  dart 
Strange  horrors  seize  thee,  and  pangs  unfelt  before  ! 

Paradise  Lost,  Book  II,  Milton. 

Derision  :  What,  will  the  aspiring  blood  of  Lancaster 
Sink  in  the  ground  ?     I  thought  it  would  have  mounted. 
See  how  my  sword  weeps  for  the  poor  king's  death  ! 

Richard  III.,  Act  /.,  Sc.  3.     [Play  Edition  :  Arranged  by  Gibbon.] 

Shakespeare. 

Despair  :  He  is  in  the  mighty  deep.  .  .  .  Men  are  no 
more.  .  .  .  Help  !  help  !  he  shouts  incessantly. 
Nothing  in  the  horizon,  nothing  in  the  sky.  He  implores 
the  blue  vault,  the  waves,  the  rocks  ;  all  are  deaf.  He 
supplicates  the  tempest  :  the  impenetrable  tempest  obeys 
only  the  Infinite.  .  .  .  He  yields  to  despair,  ,  .  . 
and  he  is  rolled  away  into  the  dismal  depths  of  the 
abyss  forever. 

Despair.  Victor  Hugo. 

Disdain  :  I  will  buy  with  you,  sell  with  you,  talk  with  you, 
walk  with  you,  and  so  following  ;  but  I  will  not  eat 
with  you,  drink  with  you,  nor  pray  with  you. 

Merchant  of  Venice,  Act  I.,  Sc.  3,  Shakespeare. 

Ecstasy  :  Her  eyes  in  heaven 

Would  through  the  airy  region  stream  so  bright, 
That  birds  would  sing  and  think  it  were  not  night. 

Romeo  and  Jitliet,  Act  II.,  Sc.  2.  Id. 

Entreaty  :  Oh  father — if  you  let  me  call  you  so — 
I  never  came  a-begging  for  myself, 
Or  William,  or  this  child  ;  but  now  I  come 
For  Dora  ;  take  her  back  ;  she  loves  thee  well. 

Dora.  Tennyson. 


230  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

Exclamation  :  Ye  eagles,  playmates  of  the  mountain  storm  ! 
Ye  lightnings,  the  dread  arrows  of  the  clouds  ! 
Ye  signs  and  wonders  of  the  elements  ! 
Utter  forth  God,  and  fill  the  hills  with  praise  ! 

Hymn  before  Sunrise.  Coleridge. 

Expectancy  :  But,  soft  !  what  light  through  yonder  window 

breaks  ? 
It  is  the  east,  and  Juliet  is  the  sun. — 

***###.* 
She  speaks,  yet  she  says  nothing  ;  what  of  that  ? 
Her  eye  discourses  ;  I  will  answer  it. 

Romeo  and  Juliet,  Act  //.,  Sc.  2.  Shakespeare. 

Exultation  :  Be  it  said  in  letters  both  bold  and  bright  : 

Here  is  the  steed  that  saved  the  day 
By  carrying  Sheridan  into  the  fight 
From  Winchester — twenty  miles  away. 

Sheridan  s  Ride.  T.  Buchanan  Read. 

Fear  :  Ah  !  mercy  on  my  soul !  What  is  that  ?  My  old 
friend's  ghost  ?  They  say  none  but  wicked  folks  walk  ; 
I  wish  I  were  at  the  bottom  of  a  coal-pit.  See  !  how 
long  and  pale  his  face  has  grown  since  his  death  :  he 
never  was  handsome  ;  and  death  has  improved  him 
very  much  the  wrong  way.  Pray  do  not  come  near 
me  !  I  wished  you  very  well  when  you  were  alive  ;  but 
I  could  never  abide  a  dead  man,  cheek  by  jowl  with  me. 
Ah,  ah,  mercy  on  us  !  No  nearer,  pray  !  Ah  !— ah  ! 

Molierc. 
/ 

Gayety  :  Fill  again  to  the  brim  !  again  to  the  brim  ! 
For  water  strengtheneth  life  and  limb  ! 
To  the  days  of  the  aged  it  addeth  length, 
To  the  might  of  the  strong  it  addeth  strength  ; 
It  freshens  the  heart,  it  brightens  the  sight, 
'Tis  like  quaffing  a  goblet  of  morning  light ! 


LANGUAGE    OF    THE   EMOTIONS   AND    PASSIONS.    231 

Graphic  Description  :  And  now  with  shouts  the  shocking 

armies  closed, 

To  lances  lances,  shields  to  shields  opposed  ; 
Host  against  host  the  shadowy  legions  drew, 
The  sounding  darts,  an  iron  tempest,  flew, 
Victors  and  vanquished  join  promiscuous  cries, 
Triumphing  shouts  and  dying  groans  arise ; 
With  streaming  blood  the  slippery  field  is  dyed, 
And  slaughtered  heroes  swell  the  dreadful  tide. 

Iliad,  V.  Homer. 

Grief  :  Alas  !  sir, 

In  what  have  I  offended  you  ?  what  cause 
Hath  my  behavior  given  to  your  displeasure, 
That  thus  you  should  proceed  to  put  me  off, 
And  take  your  good  grace  from  me  ? 

Henry  VI I  I.,  Act  //.,  Sc.  4.  Shakespeare. 

Horror  :  O  God  !  that  horrid,  horrid  dream 

Besets  me  now  awake  ! 
Again — again,  with  dizzy  brain, 

The  human  life  I  take  ; 
And  my  red  right  hand  grows  raging  hot, 
Like  Cranmer's  at  the  stake. 

The  Dream  of  Eugene  Aram.  Thomas  Hood, 

Imagination  :  Oh,  who  can  hold  a  fire  in  his  hand, 
By  thinking  on  the  frosty  Caucasus  ! 
Or  cloy  the  hungry  edge  of  Appetite, 
By  bare  imagination  of  a  feast  ? 
Or  wallow  naked  in  December  snow, 
By  thinking  on  fantastic  summer's  heat? 
Oh,  no  !  the  apprehension  of  the  good 
Gives  but  the  greater  feeling  to  the  worse. 

King  Richard  II.,  Act  I.,  Sc.  3.  Shakespeare. 

Impatience  :  He  said  he  would  not  ransom  Mortimer  : 
Forbade  my  tongue  to  speak  of  Mortimer. 
But  I  will  find  him  when  he  lies  asleep, 
And  in  his  ear  I'll  holla  "Mortimer  !  " 


232  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

Nay,  I'll  have  a  starling  taught  to  speak 
Nothing  but  "  Mortimer,"  and  give  it  him, 
To  keep  his  anger  still  in  motion. 

K.  Henry  IV.,  Pt.  I.,  Act  I.,  Sc.  3.  Shakespeare. 

Ingratitude  :  Filial  ingratitude  ! 

Is  it  not,  as  if  this  mouth  should  tear  this  hand 
For  lifting  food  to  it  ?     .     .     .     In  such  a  night 
To  shut  me  out  ! 

King  Lear,  A  ct  III. ,  Sc.  4.  Id. 

Jealousy  :  Why  !  why  is  this  ? 

Think'st  thou  I'd  make  a  life  of  jealousy, 
To  follow  still  the  changes  of  the  moon 
With  fresh  suspicions  ?     No  :  to  be  once  in  doubt, 
Is  once  to  be  resolved. 

Othello,  Act  III.,  Sc.  3.  Shakespeare. 

Joy  :    Then  sing,  ye  birds,  sing,  sing  a  joyous  song  ! 
And  let  the  young  lambs  bound 
As  to  the  tabor's  sound  ! 
We  in  thought  will  join  your  throng, 
Ye  that  pipe  and  ye  that  play, 
Ye  that  through  your  hearts  to-day 
Feel  the  gladness  of  the  May  ! 

Intimations  of  Immortality.  Wordsworth, 

Love  :  My  bounty  is  as  boundless  as  the  sea, 

My  love  as  deep  ;  the  more  I  give  to  thee 
The  more  I  have,  for  both  are  infinite. 

Romeo  and  Juliet.  Act  //.,  Sc.  2,  Shakespeare. 

Malice  :  Poison  be  their  drink  ! 

Gall,  worse  than  gall,  the  daintiest  that  they  taste  ! 
Their  sweetest  shade  a  grove  of  cypress  trees  ! 
Their  chiefest  prospect  murd'ring  basilisks  ! 

Henry  VI.,  Pt.  II.,  Act  III.,  Sc.  2.  Id. 


LANGUAGE    OF    THE    EMOTIONS    AND    PASSIONS.    233 

Melancholy  :  With  eyes  upraised,  as  one  inspired, 
Pale  Melancholy  sat  retired  ; 
And  from  her  wild,  sequestered  seat, 
In  notes  by  distance  made  more  sweet, 
Poured  through  the  mellow  horn  her  pensive  soul. 

Ode  on  the  Passions.  Collins. 

Mirth  :     Haste  thee,  nymph,  and  bring  with  thee 

Jest  and  youthful  jollity, 

Quips,  and  cranks,  and  wanton  wiles, 

Nods,  and  becks,  and  wreathed  smiles 

Such  as  hang  on  Hebe's  cheek, 

And  love  to  live  in  dimple  sleek  ; 

Sport,  that  wrinkled  Care  derides, 

And  Laughter  holding  both  his  sides. 

Come,  and  trip  it  as  you  go 

On  the  light  fantastic  toe, 
L?  Allegro,  I.  Milton, 

Pathetic  Appeal  :  Yet  while  my  Hector  still  survives,  I  see 
My  father,  mother,  brother,  all  in  thee. 
Alas  !  my  parents,  brothers,  kindred,  all 
Once  more  will  perish,  if  my  Hector  fall ! 
Thy  wife,  thy  infant,  in  thy  danger  share  : 
Oh,  prove  a  husband's  and  a  father's  care. 

Iliad,  Book  VI.  Homer  [Pope's  Tr.] 

Perplexity  :  God  knows— I'm  not  myself— I'm  somebody 
else — that's  me  yonder — no — that's  somebody  else  got 
into  my  shoes.  I  was  myself  last  night,  but  I  fell  asleep 
on  the  mountain,  and  they've  changed  my  gun,  and 
everything's  changed,  and  I'm  changed,  and  I  can't  tell 
what's  my  name,  or  who  I  am  I 

Rip  Van  Winkle.  Irving. 

Piteous  Appeal  :  Pity  the  sorrows  of  a  poor  old  man, 

Whose  trembling  limbs  have  borne  him  to  your  door, 
Whose  days  are  dwindled  to  the  shortest  span  : 
Oh  !  give  relief,  and  Heaven  will  bless  your  store. 

The  Beggar.  Thomas  Moss. 


234  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

Poignant  Regret  :    •        O  Cromwell,  Cromwell, 
Had- 1  but  served  my  God  with  half  the  zeal 
I  served  my  King    .     .     .     He  would  not  in  mine  age, 
Have  left  me  naked  to  my  enemies. 

K.  Henry  VIII.,  Act  III.,  Sc.  2.  Shakespeare. 

Power :    Oh,    godlike    Power !       Woe,    Rapture,    Penury, 

Wealth, 

Marriage  and  Death,  for  one  infirm  old  man, 
Through  a  great  empire  to  dispense — withhold — 
As  the  will  whispers  ! 

Richelieu,  Act  I.,  Sc.  2.  Bulwer. 

Pride  :  Ay,  every  inch  a  king  ! 

K.  Lear,  Act  IV.,  Sc.  6.  Shakespeare. 

Remorse  :  I  have  been  to  blame — to  blame.     I  have  killed 

my  son  ! 

I  have  killed  him — but  I  loved  him — my  dear  son  ! 
May  God  forgive  me  ! — I  have  been  to  blame  ! 
Kiss  me,  my  children. 

Dora.  Tennyson. 

Reproach  :  O  proper  stuff ! 

This  is  the  very  painting  of  your  fear  : 
This  is  the  air-drawn  dagger,  which,  you  said, 
Led  you  to  Duncan. 

Macbeth ,  A  ct  III. ,  Sc.  4.  Shakespeare. 

Ridicule  :     Rather  than  fail,  they  will  defy 
That  which  they  love  most  tenderly  ; 
Quarrel  with  mince  pies,  and  disparage 
Their  best  friend — plum  porridge  ; 
Fat  pig  and  goose  itself  oppose, 
And  blaspheme  custard  through  the  nose. 

Hudibras.  Butler. 

Sarcasm  :  Fair  sir,  you  spat  on  me  on  Wednesday  last ; 
You  spurned  me  such  a  day  ;  another  time 
You  called  me  dog  ;  and  for  these  courtesies 
I'll  lend  you  thus  much  moneys. 

Merchant  of  Venice,  Act  /.,  Sc.  3.  Shakespeare. 


LANGUAGE    OF    THE    EMOTIONS    AND    PASSIONS.    235 

Scorn  :  I  scorn  to  count  what  feelings,  withered  hopes, 
Strong-  provocations,  bitter,  burning  wrongs, 
I  have  within  my  heart's  hot  cells  shut  up, 
To  leave  you  in  your  lazy  dignities. 

Catiline.  m  Crcly. 

Self-Denunciation  :  Am  I  a  coward  ? 

Who  calls  me  villain  ?  breaks  my  pate  across  ? 

Plucks  off  my  beard,  and  blows  it  in  my  face  ? 

Tweaks  me  by  the  nose  ?  gives  me  the  lie  i'  the  throat, 

As  deep  as  to  my  lungs  ?     Who  does  me  this  ? 

Ha  ! 

Why,  I  should  take  it :  for  it  cannot  be, 

But  I  am  pigeon-livered,  and  lack  gall 

To  make  oppression  bitter. 

Hamlet,  Act  II. ,  Sc.  2.  Shakespeare, 

Spirited  Action  :  Now  storming  fury  rose, 

And  clamor  such  as  heard  in  heaven  till  now 
Was  never  ;  arms  on  armor  clashing  brayed 
Horrible  discord,  and  the  maddening  wheels 
Of  brazen  chariots  ;  dire  was  the  noise 
Of  conflict  ;  overhead  the  dismal  hiss 
Of  fiery  darts  in  flaming  volleys  flew, 
And  flying,  vaulted  either  host  with  fire. 

Paradise  Lost,  Book  VI.  Milton. 

Solicitude  :  How  earnest  thou  hither,  tell  me  ?  and  where- 
fore ? 

The  orchard  walls  are  high,  and  hard  to  climb  ; 
And  the  place  death,  considering  who  thou  art, 
If  any  of  my  kinsmen  find  thee  here. 

Romeo  and  Juliet,  Act  II.,  Sc.  2.  Shakespeare. 

Solemnity  :  All  that  breathe 

Will  share  thy  destiny.     The  gay  will  laugh 
When  thou  art  gone,  the  solemn  brood  of  care 
Plod  on,  and  each  one,  as  before,  will  chase 
His  favorite  phantom  ;  yet  all  these  shall  leave 


236  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

Their  mirth  and  their  employments,  and  shall  come 
And  make  their  bed  with  thee.      As  the  long  train 
Of  ages  glides  away,  the  sons  of  men — 
The  youth  in  life's  green  spring,  and  he  who  goes 
In  the  full  strength  of  years,  matron,  and  maid, 
And  the  sweet  babe,  and  the  gray-headed  man — 
Shall  one  by  one  be  gathered  to  thy  side 
By  those  who  in  their  turn  shall  follow  them. 

Thanatopsis.  Bryant. 

Sorrow  :  O,  ever  thus,  from  childhood's  hour, 

I've  seen  my  fondest  hopes  decay  ; 
I  never  loved  a  tree  or  flower, 

But  'twas  the  first  to  fade  away. 
I  never  nursed  a  dear  gazelle, 

To  glad  me  with  its  soft  black  eye, 
But  when  it  came  to  know  me  well, 

And  love  me,  it  was  sure  to  die. 

The  Fire-Worshipers.  Moore. 

Sublimity  :  Thou   glorious  mirror  !    where    the  Almighty's 
form 

Glasses  itself  in  tempests  ;  in  all  time, 
Calm  or  convulsed, — in  breeze,  or  gale,  or  storm, — 

Icing  the  pole,  or  in  the  torrid  clime 

Dark  heaving  ; — boundless,  endless,  and  sublime, — 
The  image  of  Eternity,— the  throne 

Of  the  Invisible  ;  even  from  out  thy  slime 
The  monsters  of  the  deep  are  made  ;  each  zone 
Obeys  thee, — thou  goest  forth,  dread,  fathomless,  alone! 

Childe  Harold,  Canto  IV.  Byron. 

Suspicion  :  Let  me  have  men  about  me  that  are  fat ; 
Sleek-headed  men,  and  such  as  sleep  o'  nights  : 
Yond-'  Cassius  has  a  lean  and  hungry  look  ; 
He  thinks  too  much  ;  such  men  are  dangerous. 

Julius  Ccesar,  Act  /.,  Sc.  z.  Shakespeare. 

Terror  :  Angels  and  ministers  of  grace  defend  us  ! 

Hamlet,  Act  /.,  Sc.  4.  Id. 


LANGUAGE    OF    THE    EMOTIONS    AND    PASSIONS.    237 

Threat  :  Dark  gamester !     .     .     .     . 

Lose  not  a  trick  ! — By  this  same  hour  to-morrow 
Thou  shalt  have  France,  or  I  thy  head  ! 

Richelieu,  Act  IV.,  Sc.  2.  Bulwer. 

Tranquillity  :  One   moment  I  looked   from  the   hill's  gentle 

slope, — 

All  hushed  was  the  billows'  commotion, 
And  o'er  them  the  light-house  looked  lovely  as  hope, 
That  star  of  life's  tremulous  ocean. 

The  Light-House.  Moore. 

Trust  :  For  us — whatever's  undergone 

Thou  knowest,  wiliest  what  is  done. 
Grief  may  be  joy  misunderstood  ; 
Only  the  Good  discerns  the  good. 
I  trust  thee  while  my  days  go  on. 

De  Profundis.  E.  B.  Bronuning- 

Veneration  :  This  royal  throne  of  kings,  this  sceptered  isle, 
This  earth  of  majesty,  this  seat  of  Mars, 
This  other  Eden,  demi-paradise  ; 
This  fortress,  built  by  nature  for  herself, 
Against  infection  and  the  hand  of  war  ; 
*  ****** 

This  blessed  plot,  this  earth,  this  realm,  this  England  ! 

Richard  II. ,  Act  77.,  Sc.  i.  Shakespeare. 

Vindictiveness  :  Let  them    pronounce  the    steep    Tarpeian 

death, 

Vagabond  exile,  flaying,  pent  to  linger 
But  with  a  grain  a  day,  I  would  not  buy 
Their  mercy  at  the  price  of  one  fair  word  ; 
Nor  check  my  courage  for  what  they  can  give, 
To  have't  with  saying,  Good  morrow. 

Coriolanus,  Act  III.,  Sc,  3,  7*/. 

Warning  :  Lochiel  !  Lochiel  !   beware  of  the  day 

When  the  Lowlands  shall  meet  thee  in  battle  array  ! 


238  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

For  a  field  of  the  dead  rushes  red  on  my  sight, 
And  the  clans  of  Culloden  are  scattered  in  fight : 
They  rally  ! — they  bleed  ! — for  their  kingdom  and  crown ; 
Woe,  woe  to  the  riders  that  trample  them  down  ! 

Lochiers  Warning.  Campbell. 

Wit:  [Chief  Justice.}    Well!  the  truth  is,  Sir  John,  you 

live  in  great  infamy. 
\Falstaff.\  He  that  buckles  him  in  my  belt,  cannot  live 

in  less. 
[Ch.  Just.'}   Your  means    are   very   slender   and   your 

waste  great. 
[Fal.\  I   would  it  were  otherwise  ;  I  would  my  means 

were  greater,  and  my  waist  slenderer. 

K.  Henry  IV.,  Part  //.,  Act  /.,  Sc.  2.  Shakespeare. 

Woe  :  O  piteous  spectacle  !  O  bloody  times  ! 

While  lions  war  and  battle  for  their  dens, 
Poor  harmless  lambs  abide  their  enmity. 

.     .     .     Woe  above  woe  !  grief  more  than  com- 
mon grief ! 

K.  Henry  VI. ,  Pt.  III.,  Act  II.,  Sc.  5.  Id. 

HINTS    TO    THE    STUDENT    OF    ELOCUTION. 

Study  the  text  of  what  you  read,  that  you  may  not 
be  confined  too  closely  to  the  book. 

Never  read  to  others  what  you  do  not  thoroughly 
understand. . 

"  Think  the  thought1'  intently  and  clearly  when  read- 
ing or  speaking. 

In  description,  form  in  the  mind  well-defined  pictures 
of  the  things  or  scenes  described.  What  you  would 
have  others  see,  you  must  yourself  see  ;  what  feel,  you 
must  feel. 

Read  f0,  and  not  at  or  over  the  audience. 


HINTS    TO    THE    STUDENT    OF    ELOCUTION.          239 

Cultivate  direct  address.  Speak  to  the  individual,  not 
to  the  multitude. 

Regulate  the  voice  to  the  size  of  the  auditorium. 
Commence  in  a  low  pitch,  speaking  slowly  and  dis- 
tinctly, and  gradually  elevate  the  voice  without  undue 
effort  until  conscious  of  being  heard  and  understood 
by  all  in  the  house.  Generally,  the  larger  the  audito- 
rium, the  higher  must  be  the  pitch  and  the  slower  the 
time. 

In  halls  that  echo  badly,  speak  slowly,  distinctly,  and 
with  moderate  force,  always  giving  the  sound  time  to 
return.  You  can  neither  run  away  from  echo  nor  beat 
it  back.  As  your  shadow,  it  will  follow  at  your  heels, 
and  like  a  hungry  wolf,  howl  in  your  ears. 

The  experienced  speaker  can  judge  of  the  ability  of 
his  voice  to  reach  the  more  distant  points,  by  the  de- 
gree of  exertion  required  to  fill  the  auditorium  ;  and  he 
may  estimate  the  interest  of  his  hearers,  by  the  degree 
of  attention  given. 

In  the  use  of  the  voice,  let  the  rule  be,  economy,  con- 
sistent with  efficiency. 

Endeavor  to  liberate  as  well  as  develop. 

Do  not  seek  for  power  in  the  throat,  but  in  the  dia- 
phragm and  the  abdominal  muscles,  The  respiratory 
muscles  are  the  "handles"  to  the  "voice-bellows/'  and 
upon  them  the  speaker  should  depend  for  power. 

The  directions  given  in  the  division  on  "  Voice  Cul- 
ture," may  be  repeated  with  emphasis  here  :  Speak 
THROUGH  the  throat — not  with  it, — letting  the  tone  lay 
hold  of  the  throat,  and  not  the  throat  hold  of  the 
tone. 

Do  not  let  u  the  vowels  swallow  up  the  consonants." 


240  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

The  vowel  elements  of  speech  are  the  soul  of  lan- 
guage ;  the  consonants,  the  intellect.  The  former  are 
the  vehicles  of  emotion  ;  the  latter,  of  thought. 

"  Raftered  by  firm-laid  consonants  ;  windowed  by  open- 
ing vowels." 

Upon  the  vowels  depend  the  musical  and  carrying 
qualities  of  the  voice  ;  upon  the  consonants,  distinct- 
ness. 

The  voice  should  be  allowed  to  "  play  around  the 
middle  pitch,"  modulating  with  freedom  above  and  be- 
low this  line  as  a  common  level. 

Form  the  tone  well  forward  in  the  mouth,  giving  a 
generous  separation  of  the  teeth  and  lips. 

Control  that  unruly  member,  the  tongue,  by  letting  it 
lie  flat  in  the  lower  jaw  when  not  in  use. 

Do  not  "  mouth  "  the  words,  "  as  many  of  our  play- 
ers "  and  other  speakers  do,  but  let  them  drop  from  the 
tongue  and  lips  like  new  coin  from  the  mint,  each  worth 
the  amount  stamped  on  the  face.  And,  when  the  lan- 
guage or  occasion  calls  for  it,  let  the  words  roll  from 
the  tongue,  like  the  waters  down  the  rocky  gorge,  in  a 
torrent  terrible  and  strong,  or  burst  from  the  mouth 
like  shot  from  the  cannon,  thundering  and  crashing 
their  way  into  the  mind  and  heart  of  the  hearer. 

Do  not  practice  before  an  audience.  The  practice 
should  precede  the  public  effort. 

Be  the  master  of  details,  not  their  slave.  "  Genius  is 
the  art  of  taking  great  pains." 

Have  the  mind  occupied  by  the  matter,  not  the  man- 
ner. He  who  labors  for  words,  either  in  recitation  or 
in  oratory,  speaks  at  a  disadvantage.  Facile  thought, 


HINTS    TO    THS    STUDENT    OF    ELOCUTION.         241 

facile  speech.  Goethe  says, — He  only  is  master  of  his 
art  who  can  do  it  playfully. 

From  mental  poise  or  self-possession,  come  vocal 
poise  and  physical  freedom.  Natural  respiration,  an 
easy  and  free  attitude,  grace  of  movement,  and  a  calm, 
clear,  and  well-balanced  mind,  are  some  of  the  condi- 
tions essential  to  success  in  oratory. 

The  province  of  elocution,  is  to  clear  away  the  ob- 
structions and  open  up  the  channels  through  which 
thought  and  feeling,  by  means  of  Voice  and  Action, 
seek  to  express  themselves. 

Let  your  aim  be  to  create — not  to  imitate. 

"  One  good  thought, 
But  known  to  be  thine  own, 
Is  better  than  a  thousand,  gleaned 
From  fields  by  others  sown." 

Do  not  speak  the  lungs  empty,  but  keep  them  com- 
fortably filled.  Acquire  the  habit  of  taking  in  a  little 
breath  at  the  short  pauses,  as  well  as  at  the  long. 

Quintilian  says, — "  It  is  useful  to  get  by  heart,  what 
is  designed  for  the  exercise  of  the  voice."  Thorough 
memorization  facilitates  fluency  of  speech. 

Daily  physical  and  vocal  exercises  are  essential  to 
the  best  and  quickest  results  in  the  study  of  elocution. 

More  fail  from  lack  of  study  than  from  lack  of  tal- 
ent. The  student  of  ordinary  ability,  with  industry, 
will  succeed  where  the  indolent  genius  (and  geniuses 
are  proverbially  lazy)  will  fail.  Even  serious  impedi- 
ments in  speech  are  not  serious  impediments  to  success 
where  there  is  indomitable  will  and  perseverance.  De- 
mosthenes, Jack  Curran,  Canon  Kingsley,  and  a  host 
of  others  could  be  mentioned,  who  were  not  more  dis- 
16 


242  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

tinguished  for  their  attainments  in  oratory,  than  they 
were  remarkable  for  the  physical  and  vocal  defects  they 
were  required  to  overcome. 

For  strengthening  the  lungs,  the  following  is  a  good 
exercise  :  Let  one  person  whisper  a  sentence  in  abrupt 
stress  to  another  person  a  short  distance  away.  If 
heard,  let  the  person  so  addressed  whisper  it  back. 
From  day  to  day,  increase  the  distance.  If  the  exer- 
cise rasps  the  throat  or  causes  much  fatigue,  stop  and 
rest.  No  exercise  should  be  carried  to  excess. 

Do  not  use  the  voice  soon  after  eating. 

Avoid  vigorous  vocal  exercises  when  suffering  from 
a  cold. 

Hot  and  very  cold  drinks  are  injurious. 
Tobacco  and  alcoholic  liquors  are  also  detrimental 
to  the  voice. 

Let  your  motto  be,  Temperance  in  all  things. 
Never  force  the  voice  beyond  its  normal  strength. 

A  frequent  change  of  pitch  and  force  in  speaking  is 
restful, — to  speaker  and  hearer  alike. 

Avoid  the  more  vigorous  exercises  of  the  gymna- 
sium. 

Any  physical  exercise  that  puts  you  u  out  of  breath  " 
is  bad.  Practice,  mostly,  those  movements  that  are 
accompanied  with  grace.  Such  exercises,  if  given  with 
energy,  will  develop  strength  as  well. 

Avoid  over-heated,  damp,  and  dusty  rooms.  Bad 
ventilation  is  as  ruinous  to  the  voice  as  to  the  health. 
Seek  fresh  air,  but  not  draughts. 

Take  plenty  of  outdoor  exercise, — look  upon  the 
bright  side  of  things — practice  the  "  Laughing  Exer- 


HINTS    TO    THE    STUDENT    OF    ELOCUTION.         243 

else,"  in  earnest — be  not  annoyed  at  trifles  — work,  not 
worry — wait  not  for  opportunity,  but  make  it — what 
you  understand,  endeavor  to  do  well  ;  if  you  fail,  "  for- 
get the  Past  in  the  reformation  of  the  Future," — shun 
shams  and  charlatans — encourage  modesty  and  worth 
— be  self-reliant,  but  not  conceited,  remembering  that 
others  know  something  as  well  as  yourself,  and  that 
none  know  it  all, — climb  to  position  on  Merit's  ladder, 
that  no  adverse  storms  may  shake  you  from  your  place 
and  purpose — pay  heed  to  these,  and  many  other  things 
that  were  better  said  than  printed  in  an  "  elocutionary 
work  of  dignity  "  (as  is  honestly,  but  facetiously  sug- 
gested by  a  friend  and  critic),  and  you  will  be  more 
successful  as  a  student  of  elocution,  and  will  thank  the 
author  for  "  making  the  opportunity  "  for  giving  these 
few  homely  hints,  which  the  strait-jacket  of  textual 
composition  would  not  permit. 

In  conclusion,  I  would  commend  to  the  student,  as 
a  fitting  climax  of  all  elocutionary  instruction,  the 
study  of 

HAMLET'S  ADVICE  TO  THE  PLAYERS. 

Speak  the  speech,  I  pray  you,  as  I  pronounced  it  to 
you,  trippingly  on  the  tongue  :  but  if  you  mouth  it,  as 
many  of  our  players  do,  I  had  as  lief  the  town-crier  had 
spoke  my  lines.  Nor  do  not  saw  the  air  too  much  with 
your  hand,  thus  :  but  use  all  gently  :  for  in  the  very 
torrent,  tempest,  and  (as  I  may  say)  the  whirlwind  of 
passion,  you  must  acquire  and  beget  a  temperance,,  that 
may  give  it  smoothness.  O,  it  offends  me  to  the  soul, 
to  hear  a  robustious  periwig-pated  fellow  tear  a  pas- 
sion to  tatters,  to  very  rags,  to  split  the  ears  of  the 
groundlings  ;  who,  for  the  most  part,  are  capable  of 
nothing  but  inexplicable  dumb  shows  and  noise  :  I 


244  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

would  have  such  a  fellow  whipped  for  o'er  doing  Terma- 
gant :  it  out-herods  Herod  :  pray  you  avoid  it. 

Be  not  too  tame  neither,  but  let  your  own  discretion 
be  your  tutor  :  suit  the  action  to  the  word,  the  word  to 
the  action  ;  with  this  special  observance,  that  you  o'er- 
step  not  the  modesty  of  nature  ;  for  anything  so  over- 
done is  from  the  purpose  of  playing,  whose  end,  both 
at  the  first  and  now,  was,  and  is,  to  hold,  as  'twere,  the 
mirror  up  to  nature  ;  to  show  virtue  her  own  feature, 
scorn  her  own  image,  and  the  very  age  and  body  of  the 
time  his  form  and  pressure. 

Now  this  overdone,  or  come  tardy  off,  though  it 
make  the  unskillful  laugh,  cannot  but  make  the  judi- 
cious grieve  ;  the  censure  of  the  which  one,  must,  in 
your  allowance,  o'erweigh  a  whole  theater  of  others. 
O,  there  be  players,  that  I  have  seen  play,  and  heard 
others  praise,  and  that  highly,  not  to  speak  it  profanely, 
that,  neither  having  the  accent  of  Christians,  nor  the 
gait  of  Christian,  pagan,  nor  man,  have  so  strutted, 
and  bellowed,  that  I  have  thought  some  of  Nature's 
journeymen  had  made  men,  and  not  made  them  well, 
they  imitated  humanity  so  abominably. 

ADVICE  TO  SPEAKERS. 

Be  brief,  be  pointed  ;  let  your  matter  stand 

Lucid,  in  order,  solid,  and  at  hand  : 

Spend  not  your  words  on  trifles,  but  condense  ; 

Strike  with  mass  of  thoughts,  not  drops  of  sense  ; 

Press  to  the  close  with  vigor,  once  begun, 

And  leave  (how  hard  the  task  !)  leave  off  when  done. 

Who  draws  a  labored  length  of  reasoning  out, 

Puts  straw  in  lines  for  winds  to  whirl  about ; 

Who  draws  a  tedious  tale  of  learning  o'er, 

Counts  but  the  sands  on  ocean's  boundless  shore. 


HINTS    TO    THE    STUDENT    OF    ELOCUTION.         245 

Victory,  if  gained,  is  gained  by  battles  fought ; 
Not  by  the  numbers,  but  the  forces  brought. 
What  boots  success  in  skirmish  or  in  fray, 
If  rout  or  ruin,  following,  close  the  day  ? 
What  worth  a  hundred  posts,  maintained  with  skill, 
If,  these  all  held,  the  foe  is  victor  still  ? 
He  who  would  win  his  cause,  with  power  must  frame 
Points  of  support,  and  look  with  steady  aim  ; 
Attack  the  weak,  defend  the  strong  with  art, 
Strike  but  few  blows,  but  strike  them  to  the  heart : 
All  scattered  fires  but  end  in  smoke  and  noise, — 
The  scorn  of  men,  the  idle  play  of  boys. 
Keep,  then,  this  first  great  precept  ever  near ; 
Short  be  your  speech,  your  matter  strong  and  clear ; 
Earnest  your  manner,  warm  and  rich  your  style, 
Severe  in  taste,  yet  full  of  grace  the  while  ; 
So  may  you  reach  the  loftiest  heights  of  fame, 
And  leave,  when  life  is  past,  a  deathless  name. 

Judge  Story. 


PROPERTY  OF  ' 
DEPABTHEHT  OF  DRAMATIC  ART 


SELECTIONS. 


[Several  of  the  following  selections  have  been  written  and  copy-righted 
specially  for  Voice  Culture  and  Elocution,  and  permission  has  been  obtained 
from  authors  and  publishers  for  the  use  of  others. 

With  the  exception  of  a  few  pieces  intended  only  for  class  readings  and 
recitations,  the  selections  here  given  will  be  found  a  choice  list  for  parlor, 
school,  and  public  recitals.] 


THE  KITCHEN  CLOCK. 

JOHN  VANCE  CHENEY. 
[From  u  Thistle  Drift."] 

KNITTING  is  the  maid  o'  the  kitchen,  Milly ; 
Doing  nothing,  sits  the  chore  boy,  Billy  : 
Seconds  reckoned, 
Seconds  reckoned; 
Every  minute, 
Sixty  in  it. 
Milly,  Billy, 
Billy,  Milly, 
Tick-tock,  tock-tick, 
Nick-knock,  knock-nick, 
Knockety-nick,  nickety-knock," — 
Goes  the  kitchen  clock. 

Closer  to  the  fire  is  rosy  Milly, 
Every  whit  as  close  and  cozy,  Billy : 
Time's  a-flying, 
Worth  your  trying  ; 
Pretty  Milly— 
Kiss  her,  Billy  ! 


SELECTIONS.  247 

Milly,  Billy, 
Billy,  Milly, 
•  Tick-tock,  tock-tick, 
Now — now,  quick — quick! 
Knockety-nick,  nickety-knock, " — 
Goes  the  kitchen  clock. 

Something's  happened,  very  red  is  Milly ; 
Billy  boy  is  looking  very  silly  : 
'  Pretty  misses, 
Plenty  kisses ; 
Make  it  twenty, 
Take  a  plenty. 
Billy,  Milly, 
Milly,  Billy, 
Right-left,  left-right, 
That's  right,  all  right, 
Knockety-nick,  nickety-knock, " — 
Goes  the  kitchen  clock. 

Weeks  gone,  still  they're  sitting,  Milly,  Billy ; 
O,  the  winter  winds  are  wondrous  chilly  ! 
'  Winter  weather, 
Close  together  ; 
Wouldn't  tarry, 
Better  marry, 
Milly,  Billy, 
Billy,  Milly, 
Two — one,  one — two, 
Don't  wait,  'twon't  do, 
Knockety-nick,  nickety-knock," — 
Goes  the  kitchen  clock. 

Winters  two  have  gone,  and  where  is  Milly? 
Spring  has  come  again,  and  where  is  Billy  ? 
;  Give  me  credit, 
For  I  did  it  ; 


248  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

Treat  me  kindly, 
Mind  you  wind  me. 
Mister  Billy, 
Mistress  Milly, 
My— O,  O— my  ! 
By-by,  by-by, 

Nickety-knock,  cradle  rock," — 
Goes  the  kitchen  clock. 


BARNYARD  MELODIES. 

FRED    EMERSON    BROOKS. 

DELIGHTFUL  change  from  the  town's  abode, 
Is  a  charming  drive  on  a  country  road  ; 
From  the  stifling  air  of  the  city's  street 
To  the  perfumed  air  of  the  daisies  sweet. 

You  halt  your  team  at  the  farmer's  gate, 

He  comes  to  open  it ;   while  you  wait, 

Old  Rover  comes  bounding  down  the  hill 

In  spite  of  his  master's  "  Rover,  be  still !  " — 

His  barking  shakes  his  thick  shaggy  coat, 

While  these  notes  roll  from  his  deep-toned  throat  • 

Bow -wow -wow -wow  ! 

Bow -wow 'Wow -wow  ! 

On  either  side  the  fat  hens  take  leg, 
While  others  announce  a  new-laid  egg, — 

Cut-cut-cut — cut-da-cut ! 

Cut-cul-cut — cut-da-cut ! 
The  rooster,  shrill  spokesman  for  the  brood, 
Says — one-third  polite  and  two-thirds  rude  : — 

I'm  Cock-a-doodle-doo! 

And  who  the  deuce  are  you  ? 


SELECTIONS.  249 

The  ducks  and  drakes  have  the  self-same  quack, — 
They're  just  alike,  save  the  curl  at  the  back; 
For  "  divers  "  reasons  they  go  to  the  pond, 
For  "sun-dry  "  reasons  they  strut  around, 
And  waddle  off  like  sailors  a-spreeing, 
And  talk  like  doctors  when  disagreeing: — 

Quack-quack-quack-quack  ! 

Quack-quack-quack-quack  / 

The  turkey  gobbler  comes  charging  round 
With  ruffled  temper  and  wings  aground; 
For  fear  he  might  his  foe  overtake 
He  gives  alarm,  then  puts  on  the  brake  : — 

Plip-gobble-obble-obble  / 
Plip-gobble-obble-obble  / 

The  hog  in  the  trough  with  dirty  feet, 
The  more  you  give  him  the  more  he'll  eat ; 
This  gourmand  finds  nothing  to  desire 
When  half  asleep  in  the  half-dried  mire: — 

R-r-r-ough-jf  J — r-r-r-ough-Jf 7 

R-r-r-ough-jf — r-r-r-ough-jf 7 
The  sow  is  teaching  her  litter  of  shoats 
To  speak  hog-latin  with  guttural  throats  :  — 

Ugh-ce  /  ugh-ee  !  ugh-ee  /  ugh-ee  / 

Ugh-ee!  ugh-ee!  ugh-ee  J  ugh-££  / 

The  calf  and  lamb  at  distance  dispute 
The  right  of  bin  with  the  horned  brute  ; 
Their  blat  and  bleat  the  hard-headed  scorns 
Where  right  and  wrong's  a  question  of  horns; — 

Bah  !  bah  ! — Beh-eh-eh-eh-eh  ! 

Bah  !  bah  /— Beh-eh-eh-eh-eh  / 

The  barefoot  boy,  from  the  tender  rows 
Of  corn,  is  driving  the  "  pesky  crows  ;  "t 


250  VOICE    CULTURE    AND   ELOCUTION. 

He  stubs  his  toe,  and  they  mock  his  pain  ; — 
He  throws  a  stone  and  they're  off  again  :  — 

Caiv-caw-caiv-caw  ! 

Caw-caiv-caw-caw  ! 

From  out  the  meadow  the  lowing  kine, 
Treading  the  buttercups,  come  in  line   ; 
Come  with  their  soft  tread  through  the  grass, 
Answering  the  call  of  the  farmer's  lass: — 

Co*  boss  !  co*  boss  /  co>  boss  / — moo  ! 

Co'  boss  !  co*  boss  !  co*  boss  ! — moo  ! 

They  stand  there  meekly  chewing  their  cud, 
Whacking  their  sides  with  a  sudden  thud 
To  battle  the  flies ;  the  swinging  tail 
Meanwhile  drops  down  in  the  frothing  pail : — 

So  boss  !  so  boss  /  so-so-so  ! 

Standstill,  Brindle  !  Heist!  so!  so/ 

The  king  of  the  herd,  imprisoned  a-field, 
Is  hooking  the  bars,  quite  loth  to  yield! 
He  paws  up  the  earth  with  muscles  tense, 
And  then,  pacing  down  the  long  line-fence, 
On  neighboring  chief,  with  haughty  mien 
And  challenge  hoarse,  he  vents  his  spleen : — 

Mow-ow-ush  !    moiv-ow-ush  ! 

•Moiv-oo  /    mow-oo  !  ow-ush  / 

The  mare  knee  deep  in  the  clover  bed 
Caresses  her  nursing  thoroughbred  ; 
The  well-fed  oxen  in  stanchions  meek; 
The  plowboy  grooming  his  horses  sleek; 
They  whisk  their  tails  and  nip  at  his  back, 
While  down  the  curry-comb  comes  a-whack : 
"  Whoa,  Dan  /  you  rascal,  stand  still  / 

!  cxh  !  cxh  !  Gee  up  tkar,  Bill'" 


SELECTIONS.  251 

The  barn  well  filled  with  the  bursting  sheaves  ; 
The  swallows  twittering  'neath  the  eaves 
Their  song  of  plenty.     The  farmer's  heart, 
Like  his  barn,  is  full ! — While  he  walks  apart 
And  chants  his  thankfulness  as  he  goes 
By  whistling  the  only  tune  he  knows  : — 
"  Yankee  Doodle  /" 

[Goes  off  whistling.] 


THE  HERO  OF  LAKE  ERIE. 

FRED    EMERSON   BROOKS. 

JOHN  MAYNARD  stood  at  the  steamer's  wheel; 

A  common  sailor,  but  true  as  steel. 

Looking  for  heroes,  you'd  pass  him  by 

Unless  you  happened  to  catch  his  eye, 

That  lens  of  the  soul  where  one  looks  through 

To  find  if,  or  not,  a  man  will  do 

To  leave  at  a  post  when  danger  is  rife, 

And  stand  there  firm  at  the  cost  of  his  life, — 

And  then  you'll  agree,  with  Captain  "Dan," 

That  rough  John  Maynard  was  just  the  man. 

Lake  Erie  was  calm,  the  sky  was  clear  : 
The  steamer  sped,  as  the  fallow  deer 
Darts  through  the  grass  on  the  prairie  old/ 
'Twas  life  on  deck,  but  death  in  the  hold. 
Little  the  joyful  passengers  knew, 
As  song  rolled  out  o'er  the  water  blue, 
The  echo  sent  back  from  the  distant  shore 
Was  grief's  applaiise  and  death's  encore. 

The  captain  stood  by  the  engineer  ; 

His  face  turned  pale  with  a  sudden  fear : 

A  burst  of  smoke — no  need  to  inquire, 

That  crackling  noise — "  The  steamer's  on  fire  !  " 


252  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

Full  quickly  now  his  firm  orders  came: 
"  Do  all  you  can  to  keep  back  the  flame  ! 
Give  all  the  steam  the  engine  will  stand: 
Our  only  hope  is  to  make  for  land. 

"John  Maynard  !  "  "Ay,  ay!"  "  To  the  nearest  shore! 

Stand  firm  by  the  wheel  as  never  before ! 

The  steamer's  afire  !     On  you  I  depend 

To  save  these  souls! — Will  you  stand  to  the  end?'' 
"  Aye,  aye,  sir  !  "     John's  words  were  ever  few — 

'Tis  always  the  case  with  men  that  do. 

And  still  the  captain's  commands  came  loud. 
And  rang  out  clear  o'er  the  wailing  crowd: 
"  All  passengers  out  on  the  for'a'd  deck! 
We'll   do  our  best  to  keep  it  in  check, — 
Shut  passages  up,  all  hatchways  close : 
Stand  by,  my  good  men,  and  man  the  hose !  " 

The  passengers  rush  to  the  figure-head, 
As  if  in  flight  from  some  terrible  dread — 
Close  crowding  up  where  there's  little  room : 
Clinging  despair  on  the  neck  of  doom. 

All  hands  have  come  up  from  down  below ; 
Their  battle  short,  a  moment  or  so. 
"  The  engine  runs  without  engineer," 
The  captain  said,  "  but  some  one  must  steer: 
Will  you  stand  firm?  "    John  made  no  reply: 
He  would  not  speak  without  his  "Ay,  ay  /" 
He  thought  of  home  that  held  all  his  joy; 
His  fond  wife  holding  her  bright-eyed  boy, 
With  fat  arms  clinging  to  mother's  neck, 
But  ready  for  romps  at  his  father's  beck : 

Two  loves  outweighing  the  world  to  him  ;— 
What  need  to  die?     'Twas  an  easy  swim; 


SELECTIONS.  253 

He'd  not  be  missed  in  the  thick,  black  smoke;  — 
His  hand  e'en  slipped  from  the  tiller  spoke: 

({  Shall  I  stand  here  and  give  up  my  life, 
And  leave  to  want,  my  baby  and  wife, — 
Far  worse  to  me  than  to  stand  and  burn  ?  " 
But  some  voice  whispered :   "  'Tis  now  your  turn" 
Through  rifts  in  the  smoke  those  faces  plead; 
He  thinks  of  Him  once  willing  to  bleed  ; 
The  voice  of  the  captain  pleads  once  more : 

"  Will  you  stand  firm  till  we  reach  the  shore  ?  " 
All,  breathless,  wait  his  final  reply — 
It  comes  at  last,  sailor-like  ;  "Ay,  ay  !  " 

"  Be  calm  !  "  said  the  captain,  "  wail  no  more  ! 
A  hero  stands  there — yonder  the  shore; 
Have  faith  in  him,  though  you  can't  see  through 
The  thick,  black  smoke,  yet  he'll  die  for  you  ! 
There's  no  greater  faith  beneath  the  sky 
Than  that  I  place  in  Maynard's  *  ay,  ay.' " 

Beneath  the  deck  'twas  a  fiery  maze, 
Like  some  great  furnace  all  ablaze  ; 
While  hot  smoke  rose  in  its  awful  gloom, 
As  if  to  conceal  that  pilot's  doom. 
With  one  spot  free  where  passengers  stand, 
The  fiery  demon  rushes  for  land. 

The  tiller-house  like  a  furnace  grew  ; — 

The  smoke  gives  way,  as  the  flames  burst  through 

The  upper  deck  and  go  roaring  aft, 

Then  slowly  creep  up  against  the  draft, 

Like  unbent  sails  crawling  up  the  mast, 

Till  pilot  house  is  enveloped  at  last. 

The  wheel  and  engine  stop  at  the  shore, 
That  hero's    "  Ay,  ay  !  " — hushed  evermore. 

He  stood  there  firm  at  the  heated  wheel, 
He  stood  there  firm  till  he  felt  the  keel 


254  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

Grate  in  the  sand  of  the  shallow  shore — 

Till  human  flesh  could  stand  it  no  more  ; 

And  falling  down  on  his  funeral  pyre, 

His  soul  went  up  in  chariot  of  fire. 

Jehovah,  the  Captain,  called  him  on  high  ; — 

John  Maynard  obeyed  with  his  last  "  Ay,  ay  !  " 


CREEDS  OF  THE  BELLS. 

GEO.    W.    BUNGAY. 

How  sweet  the  chime  of  the  Sabbath  bells  ! 
Each  one  its  creed  in  music  tells, 
In  tones  that  float  upon  the  air. 
As  soft  as  song,  as  pure  as  prayer; 
And  I  will  put  in  simple  rhyme 
The  language  of  the  golden  chime  ; 
My  happy  heart  with  rapture  swells 
Responsive  to  the  bells,  sweet  bells. 

<f  In  deeds  of  love  excel !  excel !  " 
Chimed  out  from  ivied  towers  a  bell; 

"  This  is  the  church  not  built  on  sands, 
Emblem  of  one  not  built  with  hands  ; 
Its  forms  and  sacred  rites  revere, 
Come  worship  her<*!  come  worship  here  ! 
In  rituals  and  faith  excel !  " 
Chimed  out  the  Episcopalian  bell. 

"Oh,  heed  the  ancient  landmarks  well  !  " 
In  solemn  tones  exclaimed  a  bell; 

"  No  progress  made  by  mortal  man 
Can  change  the  just  eternal  plan  : 
With  God  there  can  be  nothing  new ; 
Ignore  the  false,  embrace  the  true, 
While  all  is  well  !  is  well !  is  well  !  " 
Pealed  out  the  good  old  Dutch  church  bell. 


SELECTIONS.  255 

"  O,  swell,  ye  purifying  waters,  swell," 

In  mellow  tones  rang  out  a  bell : 
"  Though  faith  alone  in  Christ  can  save, 

Man  must  be  plunged  beneath  the  wave, 

To  show  the  world  unfaltering  faith 

In  what  the  sacred  Scripture  saith : 

Oh,  swell,  ye  rising  waters,  swell  !  " 

Pealed  out  the  clear-toned  Baptist  bell. 

"  Not  faith  alone,  but  works,  as  well, 

Must  test  the  soul,"  said  a  soft  bell : 
"  Come  here  and  cast  aside  your  load, 

And  work  your  way  along  the  road, 

With  faith  in  God,  and  faith  in  man, 

And  hope  in  Christ,  where  hope  began : 

Do  well,  do  well,  do  well,  do  well  !  " 

Rang  out  the  Unitarian  bell. 

"  Farewell,  farewell,  base  world,  farewell," 

In  touching  tones  exclaimed  a  bell ; 
"  Life  is  a  boon  to  mortals  given, 

To  fit  the  soul  for  bliss  in  heaven  : 

Do  not  invoke  the  avenging  rod, 

Come  here  and  learn  the  way  to  God  ; 

Say  to  the  world  farewell,  farewell !  " 

Pealed  forth  the  Presbyterian  bell. 

"  In  after  life  there  is  no  hell !  " 

In  rapture  rang  a  cheerful  bell : 
"  Look  up  to  heaven  this  holy  day, 

Where  angels  wait  to  lead  the  way  ; 

There  are  no  fires,  no  fiends  to  blight 

The  future  life :    be  just  and  right. 

No  hell,  no  hell,  no  hell,  no  hell !  " 

Rang  out  the  Universalist  bell. 

"  To  all,  the  truth  we  tell,  we  tell  1  " 
Shouted  in  ecstasies  a  bell : 


256  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION,, 

"  Come,  all  ye  weary  wanderers,  see, 
Our  Lord  has  made  salvation  free ! 
Repent,  believe,  have  faith,  and  then 
Be  saved  and  praise  the  Lord,  Amen. 
Salvation's  free,  we  tell,  we  tell  !  " 
Shouted  the  Methodistic  bell. 


AN  ORDER  FOR  A  PICTURE. 

ALICE   GARY. 

O  GOOD  painter,  tell  me  true, 

Has  your  hand  the  cunning  to  draw 
Shapes  of  things  that  you  never  saw  ? 

Ay  ?     Well,  here  is  an  order  for  you. 

Woods  and  corn-fields,  a  little  brown, — 
The  picture  must  not  be  over-bright, 
Yet  all  in  the  golden  and  gracious  light 
Of  a  cloud,  when  the  summer  sun  is  down. 
Alway  and  alway,  night  and  morn, 
Woods  upon  woods,  with  fields  of  corn 
Lying  between  them,  not  quite  sere, 
And  not  in  the  full,  thick,  leafy  bloom, 
When  the  wind  can  hardly  find  breathing-room 

Under  their  tassels, — cattle  near, 
Biting  shorter  the  short  green  grass, 
And  a  hedge  of  sumach  and  sassafras, 
With  bluebirds  twittering  all  around, — 
(Ah,  good  painter,  you  can't  paint  sound !) 

These  and  the  house  where  I  was  born, 
Low  and  little,  and  black  and  old, 
With  children,  many  as  it  can  hold, 
All  at  the  windows,  open  wide, — 
Heads  and  shoulders  clear  outside, 


SELECTIONS.  2 

And  fair  young  faces  all  ablush: 

Perhaps  you  may  have  seen,  some  day, 
Roses  crowding  the  self-same  way, 

Out  of  a  wilding,  wayside  bush. 

Listen  closer.     When  you  have  done 

With  woods  and  corn-fields  and  grazing  herds, 

A  lady,  the  loveliest  ever  the  sun 
Looked  down  upon,  you  must  paint  for  me; 
Oh,  if  I  only  could  make  you  see 

The  clear  blue  eyes,  the  tender  smile, 
The  sovereign  sweetness,  the  gentle  grace, 
The  woman's  soul,  and  the  angel's  face 

That  are  beaming  on  me  all  the  while, 

I  need  not  speak  these  foolish  words  : 

Yet  one  word  tells  you  all  I  would  say, — 
She  is  my  mother  :   you  will  agree 

That  all  the  rest  may  be  thrown  away. 

Two  little  urchins  at  her  knee 
You  must  paint,  sir  ;  one  like  me, 

The  other  with  a  clearer  brow, 

And  the  light  of  his  adventurous  eyes 

Flashing  with  boldest  enterprise  : 
At  ten  years  old  he  went  to  sea, — 

God  knoweth  if  he  be  living  now  ; 

He  sailed  in  the  good  ship  "  Commodore," — 
Nobody  ever  crossed  her  track 
To  bring  us  news,  and  she  never  came  back. 

Ah,  'tis  twenty  long  years  and  more 
Since  that  old  ship  went  out  of  the  bay 

With  my  great-hearted  brother  on  her  deck: 

I  watched  him  till  he  shrank  to  a  speck, 
And  his  face  was  toward  me  all  the  way. 
Bright  his  hair  was,  a  golden  brown, 

The  time  we  stood  at  our  mother's  knee : 
That  beauteous  head,  if  it  did  go  down, 

Carried  sunshine  into  the  sea  ! 
17 


VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

Out  in  the  fields  one  summer  night 
We  were  together,  half  afraid 
Of  the  corn-leaves'  rustling  and  of  the  shade 

Of  the  high  hills,  stretching  so  still  and  fa 
*  *  *  #  *  # 

Afraid  to  go  home,  sir  j  for  one  of  us  bore 
A  nest  full  of  speckled  and  thin-shelled  eggs  ; 
The  other,  a  bird,  held  fast  by  the  legs 
Not  so  big  as  a  straw  of  wheat : 
The  berries  we  gave  her  she  wouldn't  eat, 
But  cried  and  cried,  till  we  held  her  bill, 
So  slim  and  shining,  to  keep  her  still. 

At  last  we  stood  at  our  mother's  knee. 

Do  you  think,  sir,  if  you  try, 

You  can  paint  the  look  of  a  lie  ? 

If  you  can,  pray  have  the  grace 

To  put  it  solely  in  the  face 
Of  the  urchin  that  is  likest  me  : 

I  think  'twas  solely  mine^  indeed  : 

But  that's  no  matter,  —  paint  it  so; 

The  eyes  of  our  mother  (take  good  heed), 
Looking  not  on  the  nestful  of  eggs, 
Nor  the  fluttering  bird,  held  so  fast  by  the  legs, 
But  straight  through  our  faces  down  to  our  lies, 
And,  Oh,  with  such  injured,  reproachful  surprise  ! 

I  felt  my  heart  bleed  where   that  glance  went,  as 
though 

A  sharp  blade  had  struck  through  it. 

You,  sir,  know 

That  you  on  the  canvas  are  to  repeat 
Things  that  are  fairest,  things  most  sweet, 
Woods  and  corn-fields  and  mulberry  tree, — 
The  mother,  the  lads,  with  their  bird,  at  her  knee; 

But,  O,  that  look  of  reproachful  woe  ! 
High  as  the  heavens  your  name  I'll  shout, 
If  you  paint  me  the  picture,  and  leave  that  out. 


SELECTIONS. 
THE    RIDE    OF   JENNIE    M'NEAL, 

WILL    CARLETON. 

PAUL  REVERE  was  a  rider  bold,— 
Well  has  his  valorous  deed  been  told ; 
Sheridan's  ride  was  a  glorious  one, — 
Often  it  has  been  dwelt  upon  ; 
But  why  should  men  do  all  the  deeds 
On  which  the  love  of  a  patriot  feeds  ? 
Hearken  to  me,  while  I  reveal 
The  dashing  ride  of  Jennie  M'Neal. 

On  a  spot  as  pretty  as  might  be  found 

In  the  dangerous  length  of  the  Neutral  Ground, 

In  a  cottage,  cozy,  and  all  their  own, 

She  and  her  mother  lived  alone. 

Safe  were  the  two,  with  their  frugal  store, 

From  all  the  many  who  passed  their  door; 

For  Jennie's  mother  was  strange  to  fears, 

And  Jennie  was  large  for  fifteen  years : 

With  vim  her  eyes  were  glistening, 

Her  hair  was  the  hue  of  a  blackbird's  wing  ; 

And,  while  her  friends  who  knew  her  well 

The  sweetness  of  her  heart  could  tell, 

A  gun  that  hung  on  the  kitchen  wall 

Looked  solemnly  quick  to  heed  her  call ; 

And  they  who  were  evil-minded  knew 

Her  nerve  was  strong  and  her  aim  was  trae. 

So  all  kind  words  and  acts  did  daal 

To  generous,  black-eyed  Jennie  M'Neal. 

One  night,  when  the  sun  had  crept  to  bed, 
And  rain-clouds  linger'd  overhead, 
And  sent  their  surly  drops  for  proof 
To  drum  a  time  on  the  cottage  roof, 
Close  after  a  knock  at  the  outer  door 
There  entered  a  dozen  dragoons  or  more. 
Their  red  coats,  stain'd  by  the  muddy  road. 
That  they  were  British  soldiers  show'd  : 


200  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

The  captain  his  hostess  bent  to  greet, 

Saying,  "  Madam,  please  give  us  a  bit  to  eat  ; 

We  will  pay  you  well,  and,  if  may  be, 

This  bright-eyed  girl  for  pouring  our  tea ; 

Then  we  must  dash  ten  miles  ahead, 

To  catch  a  rebel  colonel  a-bed. 

He  is  visiting  home  as  doth  appear  ; 

We  will  make  his  pleasure  cost  him  dear." 

And  they  fell  on  the  hasty  supper  with  zeal, 

Close-watched  the  while  by  Jennie  M'Neal. 

For  the  gray-hair'd  colonel  they  hover'd  near 

Had  been  her  true  friend  kind  and  dear. 

*  *  •&  *  *  *  * 

With  never  a  thought  or  a  moment  more, 
Bare-headed  she  slipp'd  from  the  cottage  door, 
Ran  out  where  the  horses  were  left  to  feed, 
Unhitch'd  and  mounted  the  captain's  steed, 
And  down  the  hilly  and  rock-strewn  way 

She  urged  the  fiery  horse  of  gray. 

*  #  *        '     *  *  *  * 

Hark  !  from  the  hills,  a  moment  mute, 

Came  a  clatter  of  hoofs  in  hot  pursuit  ; 

And  a  cry  from  the  foremost  trooper  said, 

"  Halt !  or  your  blood  be  on  your  head  !  " 

She  heeded  it  not,  and  not  in  vain 

She  lash'd  the  horse  with  the  bridle  rein  ; 

So  into  the  night  the  gray  horse  strode  ; 

His  shoes  hew'd  fire  from  the  rocky  road  ; 

And  theliigh-born  courage  that  never  dies 

Flashed  from  his  rider's  coal-black  eyes  : 

•'  On,  on,  brave  beast !  "  with  loud  appeal, 

Cried  eager,  resolute  Jennie  M'Neal. 

"  Halt  I  "  once  more  came  the  voice  of  dread  ; 

"  Halt!  or  your  blood  be  on  your  head  !  '* 

Then,  no  one  answering  to  the  calls, 

Sped  after  her  a  volley  of  balls. 

They  pass'd  her  in  her  rapid  flight, 

They  scream'd  to  her  left,  they  scream'd  to  her  right: 


SELECTIONS.  26l 

But,  rushing  still  o'er  the  slippery  track, 
She  sent  no  token  of  answer  back, 
Except  a  silvery  laughter  peal, 
Brave,  merry-hearted  Jennie  M'Neal. 
******* 
They  were  a  furlong  behind,  or  more, 
When  the  girl  burst  through  the  colonel's  door, — 

******* 

And  shouted,  "  Quick  !  be  quick,  I  say  ! 
They  come  !  they  come  !  Away  !  away  ! " 
Then  sunk  on  the  rude  white  floor  of  deal 
Poor,  brave,  exhausted  Jennie  M'Neal. 
The  startled  colonel  sprung  and  press'd 
The  wife  and  children  to  his  breast, 
And  turn'd  away  from  his  fireside  bright, 
And  glided  into  the  stormy  night ; 
Then  soon  and  safely  made  his  way 
To  where  the  patriot  army  lay. 

'*****# 

The  girl  roused  up  at  the  martial  din, 
Just  as  the  troopers  came  rushing  in, 
And  laugh'd,  e'en  in  the  midst  of  a  moan, 
Saying,  "Good  sirs,  your  bird  has  flown : 
'Tis  I  who  have  scared  him  from  his  nest ; 
So  deal  with  me  now  as  you  think  best." 
But  the  grand  young  captain  bow'd,  and  said, 
"  Never  you  hold  a  moment's  dread  : 
Of  womankind  I  must  crown  you  queen  ; 
So  brave  a  girl  I  have  never  seen  : 
Wear  this  gold  ring  as  your  valor's  due  ; 
And  when  peace  comes  I  will  come  for  you." 
But  Jennie's  face  an  arch  smile  wore, 
As  she  said,  "  There's  a  lad  in  Putnam's  corps, 
Who  told  me  the  same,  long  time  ago  ; 
You  two  would  never  agree,  I  know : 
I  promis'd  my  love  to  be  true  as  steel," 
Said  good,  sure-hearted  Jennie  M'Neal. 


262  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

AN  INCIDENT  AT  SEA. 

WILLIAM   T.    ROSS. 

WHILE  on  my  return  from  Europe,  about  midway  of 
the  Atlantic,  it  was  my  good  fortune  to  behold  a  sight  of 
transcendent  beauty  that  few  persons  have  ever  seen. 
Our  good  ship  was  under  full  sail,  with  a  light  breeze  that 
bore  her  lazily  along  over  a  gentle  sea. 

The  last  rays  of  a  gorgeous  sunset  had  faded  from  the 
sky,  and  darkness  closed  gently  down  upon  the  bosom  of 
the  deep.  Leaning  against  the  windward  taffrail,  my 
mind  gradually  became  wrapped  in  a  meditation  born  of 
that  profound  loneliness  with  which  only  night  upon  the 
ocean  inspires  one.  The  helmsman  stood  silent  at  the 
wheel  ;  the  officer  paced  his  lone  and  measured  tread ;  the 
lookout  reclined  lazily  near  the  shrouds,  anxiously  longing 
for  the  "eight  bells  "  that  brings  relief  to  a  tiresome  watch. 
No  sound  was  heard,  save  now  and  then  the  creak  of  the 
cordage,  or  the  occasional  sough  of  the  water  against  the 
vessel's  prow.  But  the  whisperings  of  these  light  waves 
seemed  to  make  the  silence  even  more  profound. 

Slowly  aroused  from  my  reverie,  I  became  conscious  of  a 
gentle  light  that  overspread  a  portion  of  the  eastern  sky.  A 
single  spot  on  the  horizon  grew  more  golden,  and  the  upper 
limb  of  the  moon  peered  above  the  ocean's  edge,  followed 
by  the  round  shield  of  the  full  orb  that  shot  her  beams 
across  the  surface  of  the  silent  deep.  From  our  lonely  ship 
to  her  smiling  face  lay  a  tempting  highway,  paved  with 
shimmering  gold. 

Just  as  Luna  lifted  herself  above  the  horizon,  a  distant 
ship,  before  unseen,  sailed  calmly  and  majestically  into  view, 
and  remained  for  a  moment  stamped  like  a  silhouette  upon 
the  broad  golden  surface.  It  was  too  grand  to  be  only  pretty, 
too  exquisitely  beautiful  to  be  merely  sublime.  For  a  few 
moments  I  stood  like  one  entranced,  gazing  in  silent  rapture 
upon  the  most  wonderful  sight  that  nature  ever  painted  for 


SELECTIONS.  263 

mortal  eyes.  But  while  I  looked,  slowly  and  silently  the 
vessel  moved  from  off  the  golden  disk,  and  mysteriously 
passed  into  the  obscurity  whence  she  came, — like  a  beautiful 
picture  of  the  mind  that  comes  we  know  not  whence,  and 
goes  we  know  not  where. 

Other  scenes  may  fade,  the  names  of  old-time  friends  be 
forgotten,  but  never  from  memory's  page  shall  be  erased 
that  beautiful  picture  of  the  full  moon,  so  lightly  resting 
upon  the  ocean's  edge,  and  the  ship  in  full  sail  covering  her 
disk.  Nor  shall  the  recollection  ever  grow  dim  of  how  my 
heart,  in  profound  gratitude  and  joy,  was  lifted  from  that 
sublimely  radiant  sight  in  nature,  up  to  nature's  God. 


THE   PETRIFIED   FERN. 

MARY    LYDIA   BOLLES. 

IN  a  valley,  centuries  ago, 

Grew  a  little  fern-leaf,  green  and  slender, 
Veining  delicate,  and  fibers  tender ; 

Waving,  when  the  wind  crept  down  so  low. 

Rushes  tall,  and  moss,  and  grass  grew  round  it, 
Playful  sunbeams  darted  in  and  found  it, 
Drops  of  dew  stole  in  by  night  and  crown'd  it. 

But  no  foot  of  man  e'er  trod  that  way ; 

Earth  was  young  and  keeping  holiday. 

Monster  fishes  swam  the  silent  main, 

Stately  forests  waved  their  giant  branches, 
Mountains  hurled  their  snowy  avalanches, 

Mammoth  creatures  stalked  across  the  plain  ; 
Nature  reveled  in  grand  mysteries, 
But  the  little  fern  was  not  of  these, 
Did  not  number  with  the  hills  and  trees; 

Only  grew  and  waved  its  wild,  sweet  way, 

None  ever  came  to  note  it  day  by  day. 


264  VOICE   CULTURE    AND   ELOCUTION. 

Earth,  one  time,  put  on  a  frolic  mood, 

Heaved  the  rocks,  and  changed  the  mighty  motion 

Of  the  deep  strong  currents  of  the  ocean, 
Moved  the  plain  and  shook  the  haughty  wood, 

Crushed  the  little  fern  in  soft,  moist  clay, 

Covered  it  and  hid  it  safe  away. 

O  the  long,  long  centuries  since  that  day  ! 
O  the  agony  !  O  life's  bitter  cost 
Since  that  useless  little  fern  was  lost ! 

Useless?  Lost  ?  There  came  a  thoughtful  man, 
Searching  Nature's  secrets,  far  and  deep; 
From  a  fissure  in  a  rocky  steep 

He  withdrew  a  stone,  o'er  which  there  ran 
Fairy  pencilings,  a  quaint  design, 
Veinings,  leafage,  fibers  clear  and  fine, 
And  the  fern's  life  lay  in  every  line  ! 

So,  I  think,  God  hides  some  souls  away, 

Sweetly  to  surprise  us,  the  last  day. 


THE  INFINITE  MOTHER. 

JAMES   G.    CLARK. 

I  AM  mother  of  Life,  and  companion  of  God, 

I  move  in  each  mote  from  the  suns  to  the  sod, 

I  brood  in  all  darkness,  I  gleam  in  all  light, 

I  fathom  all  depth  and  I  crown  every  height; 

Within  me  the  globes  of  the  universe  roll, 

And  through  me  all  matter  takes  impress  and  soul 

Without  me  all  forms  into  chaos  would  fall ; 

I  was  under,  within,  and  around,  over  all, 

Ere  the  stars  of  the  morning  in  harmony  sung, 

Or  the  systems  and  suns  from  their  grand  arches  swung. 

I  loved  you,  O  earth,  in  those  cycles  profound, 
When  darkness  unbroken  encircled  you  round, 


SELECTIONS.  265 

And  the  fruit  of  creation,  the  race  of  mankind, 

Was  only  a  dream  in  the  Infinite  Mind. 

I  nursed  you,  O  earth,  ere  your  oceans  were  born, 

Or  your  mountains  rejoiced  in  the  gladness  of  morn, 

When  naked  and  helpless  you  came  from  the  womb, 

Ere  the  seasons  had  decked  you  with  verdure  and  bloom, 

And  all  that  appeared  of  your  form  or  your  face 

Was  a  bare,  lurid  ball  in  the  vast  wilds  of  space. 

When  your  bosom  was  shaken  and  rent  with  alarms, 

I  calmed  and  caressed  you  to  sleep  in  my  arms  ; 

I  sung  o'er  your  pillow  the  song  of  the  spheres, 

Till  the  hum  of  its  melody  softened  your  fears, 

And  the  hot  flames  of  passion  burned  low  in  your  breast 

As  you  lay  on  my  heart  like   a  maiden  at  rest. 

When  fevered,  I  cooled  you  with  mist  and  with  shower, 

And  kissed  you  with  cloudlet  and  rainbow  and  flower, 

Till  you  woke  in  the  heavens  arrayed  like  a  queen, 

In  garments  of  purple,  of  gold,  and  of  green, 

From  fabrics  of  glory  my  fingers  had  spun 

For  the  mother  of  nations  and  bride  of  the  sun. 

All  creatures  conceived  at  the  Fountain  of  Cause 

Are  born  of  my  travail,  controlled  by  my  laws  : 

I  throb  in  their  veins  and  I  breathe  in  their  breath, 

Combine  them  for  effort,  disperse  them  in  death ; 

No  form  is  too  great  or  minute  for  my  care, 

No  place  so  remote  but  my  presence  is  there. 

I  bend  in  the  grasses  that  whisper  of  spring, 

I  lean  o'er  the  spaces  to  hear  the  stars  sing, 

I  laugh  with  the  infant,  I  roar  with  the  sea, 

I  roll  in  the  thunder,  I  hum  with  the  bee ; 

From  the  center  of  suns  to  the  flowers  of  the  sod, 

I  am  shuttle  and  loom  in  the  purpose  of  God, 

The  ladder  of  action  all  spirit  must  climb 

To  the  clear  heights  of  Love  from  the  lowlands  of  Time. 


266  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

'Tis  mine  to  protect  you,  fair  bride  of  the  sun, 

Till  the  task  of  the  bride  and  the  bridegroom  is  done : 

Till  the  roses  that  crown  you  shall  wither  away, 

And  the  bloom  on  your  beautiful  cheek  shall  decay ; 

Till  the  soft  golden  locks  of  your  lover  turn  gray, 

And  palsy  shall  fall  on  the  pulses  of  Day ; 

Till  you  cease  to  give  birth  to  the  children  of  men, 

And  your  forms  are  absorbed  in  my  currents  again  ;-- 

But  your  sons  and  your  daughters,  unconquered  by  strife; 

Shall  rise  on  my  pinions  and  bathe  in  my  life 

While  the  fierce  glowing  splendors  of  suns  cease  to  burn, 

And  bright  constellations  to  vapor  return, 

And  new  ones  shall  rise  from  the  graves  of  the  old, 

Shine,  fade,  and  dissolve  like  a  tale  that  is  told. 


SHERIFF  THORNE. 

J.    T.    TROWBRIDGE. 

THAT  I  should  be  sheriff,  and  keep  the  jail, 
And  that  yonder  stately  old  fellow,  you  see 
Marching  across  the  yard,  should  be 
My  prisoner, — well,  'tis  a  curious  tale, 
As  you'll  agree. 

For  it  happens,  we've  been  here  once  before 
Together,  and  served  our  time, — although 
Not  just  as  you  see  us  now,  you  know ; 
When  we  were  younger  both  by  a  score 
Of  years  or  so. 

When  I  was  a  wild  colt,  two-thirds  grown, 
Too  wild  for  ever  a  curb  or  rein, 
Playing  my  tricks  till — I  needn't  explain  ;— 
I  got  three  months  at  breaking  stone, 
With  a  ball  and  chain. 


SELECTIONS.  267 

The  fodder  was  mean,  and  the  work  was  hard, 
And  work  and  I  could  never  agree  ; 
And  the  discipline,  well,  in  short,  you  see, 
'Twas  rather  a  roughish  kind  of  card 
That  curried  me  ! 

A  stout  steel  bracelet  about  my  leg, 
A  cannon-shot  and  chain  at  my  feet, 
I  pounded  the  stones  in  the  public  street, 
With  a  heart  crammed  full  of  hate  as  an  egg 
Is  full  of  meat. 

The  school-boys  jeered  at  my  prison  rig; 
And  me,  if  I  moved,  they  used  to  call 
(For  I  went  with  a  jerk,  if  I  went  at  all) 
A  gentleman  dancing  the  Jail-bird  Jig, — 
At  a  county  ball. 

But  once,  as  I  sat  in  the  usual  place, 
On  a  heap  of  stones,  and  hammered  away 
At  the  rocks,  with  a  heart  as  hard  as  they, 
And  cursed  Macadam  and  all  his  race, 
There  chanced  that  way, 

Sir,  the  loveliest  girl  !  I  don't  mean  pretty ; 
But  there  was  that  in  her  troubled  eye, 
In  her  sweet,  sad  glance,  as  she  passed  me  by, 
That  seemed  like  an  angel's  gentle  pity 

For  such  as  I. 

And,  sir,  to  my  soul  that  pure  look  gave 
Such  a  thrill  as  a  summer  morning  brings, 
With  its  twitter  ana  flutter  of  songs  and  wings, 
To  one  crouched  all  night  long  in  a  cave 

Of  venomous  things. 

Down  the  broad  green  street  she  passed  from  sight  ; 
But  all  that  day  I  was  under  a  spell ; 
And  all  that  night— I  remember  well — 
A  pair  of  eyes  made  a  kind  of  light 

That  filled  my  cell. 


268  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

Women  can  do  with  us  what  they  will : 
'Twas  only  a  village  girl,  but  she, 
With  the  flash  of  a  glance,  had  shown  to  me 
The  wretch  I  was,  and  the  self  I  still 
Might  strive  to  be. 

And  if  in  my  misery  I  began 
To  feel  fresh  hope  and  courage  stir, — 
To  turn  my  back  upon  things  that  were, 
And  my  face  to  the  future  of  a  man, — 
'Twas  all  for  her. 

And  that's  my  story.     And  as  for  the  lady  ? 
I  saw  her, — Oh  yes, — when  I  was  free, 
And  thanked  her,  and — Well,  just  come  with  me  ; 
As  likely  as  not,  when  supper  is  ready, 
She'll  pour  your  tea. 

She  keeps  my  house,  and  I  keep  the  jail ; 
And  the  stately  old  fellow  who  passed  just  now 
And  tipped  me  that  very  peculiar  bow — 
But  that  is  the  wonderful  part  of  the  tale, 
As  you'll  allow. 

For  he,  you  must  know,  was  sheriff  then, 
And  he  guarded  me,  as  I  guard  him ! 
(The  fetter  I  wore  now  fits  his  limb  !) — 
Just  one  of  your  high-flown,  strait-laced  men, 

Pompous  and  grim, — 
The  Great  Mogul  of  our  little  town  ! 
But  while  I  was  struggling  to  redeem 
My  youth,  he  sank  in  the  world's  esteem ; 
My  stock  went  up,  while  his  went  down, 

Like  the  ends  of  a  beam. 
What  fault  ?     'Twas  not  one  fault  alone 
That  brought  him  low,  but  a  treacherous  train 
Of  vices,  sapping  the  heart  and  brain. 
Then  came  his  turn  at  breaking  stone, 

With  a  ball  and  chain, 


SELECTIONS.  269 

It  seemed,  I  admit,  a  sort  of  treason, 
To  clip  him,  and  give  him  the  cap  and  ball, 
And  that  I  was  his  keeper  seemed  worst  of  all. 
And  now,  in  a  word,  if  you  ask  the  reason 
Of  this  man's  fall, — 

'Twas  a  woman  again, — is  my  reply. 
And  so  I  said,  and  I  say  it  still, 
That  women  can  do  with  us  what  they  will : 
Strong  men  they  turn  with  the  twirl  of  an  eye, 
For  good  or  ill. 


THE  GOLDEN  GATE. 

MADGE    MORRIS. 

DOWN  by  the  side  of  the  Golden  Gate 

The  city  stands; 
Grimly,  and  solemn,  and  silent,  wait 

The  walls  of  land. 

Guarding  its  door  as  a  treasure  fond ; 
And  none  may  pass  to  the  sea  beyond, 
But  they  who  trust  to  the  king  of  fate, 

And  pass  through  the  Golden  Gate. 
The  ships  go  out  through  its  narrow  door, 
White-sailed,  and  laden  with  precious  store  ; 
White-sailed,  and  laden  with  precious  freight, 
The  ships  come  back  through  the  Golden  Gate. 
The  sun  comes  up  o'er  the  Eastern  crest, 
The  sun  goes  down  in  the  golden  West, 
And  the  East  is  West,  and  the  West  is  East, 
And  the  sun,  from  his  toil  of  day  released, 
Shines  back  through  the  Golden  Gate. 
Down  by  the  side  of  the  Golden  Gate — 

The  door  of  life, — 
Are  resting  our  cities,  sea-embowered, 
White-walled,  and  templed,  and  marble-towered- 

The  end  of  strife. 


270  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

The  ships  have  sailed  from  the  silent  walls, 
And  over  their  sailing  the  darkness  falls. 
Oh  the  sea  is  so  dark,  and  so  deep,  and  wide ! 
Will  the  ships  come  back  from  the  further  side  ? 

"  Nay  ;  but  there  is  no  further  side," 
A  voice  is  whispering  across  the  tide, — 

"  Time,  itself,  is  a  circle  vast, 

Building  the  future  out  of  the  past  ; 
For  the  new  is  old,  and  the  old  is  new, 
And  the  true  is  false,  and  the  false  is  true, 
And  the  West  is  East,  and  the  East  is  West, 
And  the  sun  that  rose  o'er  the  Eastern  crest, 
Gone  down  in  the  West  of  his  circling  track, 
Forever  and  ever  is  shining  back 

Through  the  Golden  Gate  of  life." 

O  soul !  thy  city  is  standing  down 

By  its  Golden  Gate; 
Over  it  hangs  the  menacing  frown 

Of  the  king  of  fate. 
The  sea  of  knowledge  so  near  its  door, 
Is  rolling  away  to  the  further  shore — 

The  orient  side, — 

And  the  ocean  is  dark,  and  deep,  and  wide  ! 
But  thy  harbor,  O  Soul  !  is  filled  with  sails, 
Freighted  with  messages,  wonder  tales, 
From  the  lands  that  swing  in  the  sapphire  sky, 
Where  the  gardens  of  God  in  the  ether  lie. 
If  only  the  blinded  eye  could  see, 
If  only  the  deaf-mute  heart  could  hear, 
The  ocean  of  knowledge  is  open  to  thee, 
And  its  Golden  Gate  is  near ! 
For  the  dead  are  the  living — the  living  the  dead, 
And  out  of  the  darkness  the  light  is  shed ; 
And  the  East  is  West,  and  the  West  is  East, 
And  the  sun,  from  his  toil  of  day  released, 
Shines  back  through  the  Golden  Gate. 


SELECTIONS.  271 

THE  HUNCHBACKED  SINGER. 
/ 

"I  AM  Nicholas  Tachinardi,  hunchbacked,  look  you,  and  a 

fright. 

Caliban  himself,  'tis  likely,  was  not  a  more  hideous  sight ! 
Granted.  But  I  come  not,  friends,  to  exhibit  form  or  size. 
Look  not  on  my  shape,  good  people ;  lend  your  ears  and  not 

your  eyes. 

"  I'm  a  singer,  not  a  dancer :  Spare  me  for  awhile  your  din. 
Let  tne  try  my  voice  to-night  here ;  keep  your  jests  till   I 

begin. 

Have  the  kindness  but  to  listen — this  is  all  I  dare  to  ask. 
See,  I  stand  before  the  footlights  waiting  to  begin  my  task. 
If  I  fail  to  please,  why,  curse  me ;  but  not  before  you  hear 
Thrust  me  out  from  the  Odeon.     Listen,  and  I've  naught  to 

fear." 

But  the  crowd  in  pit  and  boxes  jeered  the  dwarf  and  mocked 

his  shape, 
Called  him    "monster,"  "  thing  abhorrent,"  crying    "  off, 

presumptuous  ape  !  " 
"Off,  unsightly,  baleful  creature,  off  and  quit  the  insulted 

stage. 
Move  aside,  repulsive  figure,  or  deplore  our  gathering  rage  !  " 

Bowing  low,   pale    Tachinardi,  long   accustomed    to    such 

threats, 
Burst  into  a  grand  bravura,  showering  notes  like  diamond 

jets, 
Sang  until  the  ringing  plaudits  through   the  wide  Odeon 

rang, 
Sang    as  never  soaring   tenor   e'er  behind  those  footlights 

sang. 
And  the  hunchback  ever  after,  like  a  god,  was  hailed  with 

cries : 
11  King  of  minstrels,  live  forever  !     Shame  on  fools  who  have 

but  eyes ! " 


272  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

HOW  LOVE  CAME  FLYING  IN  AT  THE  WINDOW. 

No,  there's  no  use  hunting  for  a  husband.  When  your 
time  has  come,  you'll  marry.  Some  is  marked  out  for  it, 
and  some  isn't.  Now,  there  was  Fenella  Jackson:  you'd 
hev  thought  if  ever  a  gal  was  cut  out  to  make  a  match,  she 
was.  But  there  she  is,  an  old  maid.  Pretty  and  accomplished, 
engaged  four  or  five  times,  but  'twasn't  to  be.  And  there's 
Jane  Jones,  that  went  out  a  dress-making  for  a  living,  and 
she's  got  the  richest  man  in  the  town.  There's  no  telling; 
and  you  can't  fix  things, — they  fix  themselves. 

My  neice,  Neptany  Ann,  she  was  a  widder,  and  she  wasn't 
left  very  well  off,  and  she  was  sort  of  good-lookin'  and  not 
more'n  thirty;  so  she  says  right  out  and  out,  soon  as  her 
mourning  was  off:  "  I  mean  to  marry  again."  And  her 
relations  they  all  thought  'twas  quite  sensible ;  but  nobody 
proposed. 

"I  declare,  Aunt  Milliken,"  says  she,  "  it's  just  the  fun- 
niest thing  to  me  that  I've  got  to  set  down  and  take  care  of 
myself,  when  folks  that  an't  no  better  than  I  be  anyway,  step 
off  and  settle  down.  There's  Mrs.  Flint — lean  as  a  guide- 
post,  married  to  Squire  Becker;  and  Fanny  Jones,  she's  mak- 
ing her  wedding  dress  ;  and  here  am  1.  What  does  it  mean  ? " 

"  It  means  your  time  isn't  come,"  says  I.  "If  he's  a-com- 
ing  he'll  come,  if  you  go  and  sit  on  top  of  a  mountain.  You 
may  hunt  the  world  over  for  your  love,  and  just  when  you 
make  up  your  mind  you  can't  find  him,  he'll  come  a-flying 
in  at  the  window." 

"  He'll  have  to  come  in  a  hurry,  if  he's  coming  here," 
says  Neptany,  laughing;  and  just  then  smash-bang-crash  ! 
something  came  flying  through  the  big  bow  window:  and 
first  we  jumped  up  and  shrieked,  for  what  had  come  through 
the  big  bow  window  was  an  elderly  gentleman  with  a  bald 
head.  He'd  had  his  hat  on  when  he  came  through,  and 
when  we'd  picked  him  up  we  found  he  wasn't  as  much  hurt 
as  we  should  have  expected. 

Neptany  was  a  master-hand  to  fix  up  folks  that  was  sick  of 


SELECTIONS.  273 

anything,  and  she  managed  beautifully,  and  I  made  him  a 
big  bowl  of  boneset  tea  straight  off.  And  Neptany  says  to 
him : 

"And  now,  sir,  may  I  ask  how  it  was  you  came  flying 
through  my  window  instead  of  knocking  at  my  door?  " 

"I  didn't  fly.  I  was  thrown,"  says  he;  "I  was  riding  a 
horse  I  didn't  know.  And  the  first  thing  I  knew  I  was  over 
his  head." 

"  Might  have  killed  you,"  says  Neptany. 

"Well,"  says  he,  "  that  wouldn't  have  made  much  dif- 
ference. I'm  only  a  miserable  old  bachelor.  What  good  is 
a  bachelor — lonely,  unloved,  uncared-for?" — and  then  he 
groaned,  and  I  gave  him  another  swig  of  boneset  tea. 

"Well,"  says  Neptany  Ann,  "I've  heard  old  bachelors 
complain  before,  but  I  never  pity  'em.  It's  all  their  own 
fault.  Why  haven't  they  proposed  to  some  nice,  sensible 
girl,  and  settled  down  with  a  wife  ?  Any  man  can  get  married. 
It's  all  in  his  own  hands." 

When  she  said  that,  the  old  bachelor  sat  up  on  the  sofa, 
and  brought  his  fist  down  on  the  table  with  a  bang  that  made 
the  new  bowl  of  boneset  I'd  jest  filled  up,  slop  over. 

"It  isn't,"  says  he.  "  I  know  people  think  so,  but  there's 
many  and  many  a  man  that  wants  to  get  married,  and 
can't.  There's  a  fate  against  it.  Madam,  I  give  you  my 
word  of  honor  that  every  girl  I've  ever  proposed  to  has  re- 
fused me.  I'd  like  to  know  what's  the  matter  with  me." 

"  Your  time  hasn't  come,"  says  I. 

"Such  things  are  mysteries,  as  my  poor  dear  late  hus- 
band used  to  say,"  says  Neptany  Ann.  She  just  lugged  in 
his  name  for  a  reason  she  had. 

"Ah,"  says  the  bachelor,  pricking  up  his  ears.  "You're 
a  widow,  then  ?  "  "  Yes,"  says  Neptany. 

"  Now  be  candid;  if  Pd  said  to  you,  'Ma'am,  here  I  am; 
will  you  have  me  ?'  why  would  you  have  said  no?" 

"May  be  I  shouldn't  have  said  'no,'"  said  Neptany. 

"I'll  prove  you  would,"  said  the  old  bachelor,  getting 
up  from  the  lounge.  "  Now,  ma'am,  here  I  am.  I  havn't 
18 


274  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

known  you  long,  but  you're  a  very  handsome  woman,  and  a 
good  one,  I'll  bet.  I  offer  you  my  heart,  hand,  and  fortune. 
Will  you  be  my  wife  ?  Now  !  " 

"  But  you  are  only  joking,  you  see,"  says  Neptany. 

"No,  I'm  in  earnest.  I  make  you  a  serious  offer.  Your 
friends,  the  Pimlicoes,  may  have  spoken  of  me, — Mr.  Jobling. 
Now,  will  you  have  me  ?  " 

"Yes,"  said  Neptany  Ann.  "Honestly  '  yes'?  "says 
he. 

"  Honestly  '  yes,' "  says  Neptany. 

I  jest  sat  down  on  a  rocking-chair,  and  says  I: 

"  What  did  I  say  ? — hunt  the  world  over  for  love,  and 
you  won't  find  him,  and  just  as  you  lock  your  door  he  comes 
flying  in  at  the  window." 


WHAT  CONSTITUTES  A  STATE. 

SIR  WILLIAM  JONES. 

WHAT  constitutes  a  state? 
Not  high-raised  battlement  or  labored  mound, 

Thick  wall  or  moated  gate  ; 
Not   cities   proud  with  spires  and  turrets  crowned ; 

Not  bays  and  broad-armed  ports, 
Where,  laughing  at  the  storm,  rich  navies  ride; 

Not  starred  and  spangled  courts, 
Where  low-browed  baseness  wafts  perfume  to  pride, - 

No;  men,  high-minded  men, 
With  powers  as  far  above  dull  brutes  endued 

In  forest,  brake,  or  den, 
As  beasts  excel  cold  rocks  and  brambles  rude, — 

Men  who  their  duties  know, 
But  know  their  rights,  and  knowing,  dare  maintain, 

Prevent  the  long-aimed  blow, 
And  crush  the  tyrant  while  they  rend  the  chain  : 


SELECTIONS.  275 

These  constitute  a  state ; 
And  sovereign  law,  that  state's  collected  will, 

O'er  thrones  and  globes  elate 
Sits  empress,  crowning  good,  repressing  ill. 

Smit  by  her  sacred  frown, 
The  fiend,  dissension,  like  a  vapor  sinks; 

And  e'en  the  all-dazzling  crown 
Hides  his  faint  rays,  and  at  her  bidding  shrinks. 


HENRY  V.  TO  THE  CONSPIRATORS. 

SHAKESPEARE. 

RICHARD,  Earl  of  Cambridge,  there  is  your  commission ; 

There  yours,  Lord  Scroop  of  Masham ;  and,  sir  knight, 

Grey  of  Northumberland,  this  same  is  yours: 

Read  them  ;   and  know,  I  know  your  worthiness. 

My  Lord  of  Westmoreland  and  uncle  Exeter, 

We  will  aboard  to-night. — Why,  how  now,  gentlemen  ? 

What  see  you  in  those  papers,  that  you  lose 

So  much  complexion  ? — Look  ye,  how  they  change  !  . 

Their  cheeks  are  paper. — Why,  what  read  you  there, 

That  hath  so  cowarded  and  chased  your  blood 

Out  of  appearance  ? 

*•  jl    :..*•*..         -^ :."         *••-  -          * 
The  mercy  that  was  quick  in  us  but  late, 
By  your  own  counsel  is  suppress'd  and  kilPd: 
You  must  not  dare,  for  shame,  to  talk  of  mercy  ; 
For  your  own  reasons  turn  into  your  bosoms, 
As  dogs  upon  their  masters,  worrying  you. 
See  you,  my  princes,  and  my  noble  peers, 
These  English  monsters !     My  Lord   of  Cambridge  here,- 
You  know  how  apt  our  love  was,  to  accord 
To  furnish  him  with  all  appertinents 


276  VOICE   CULTURE    AND   ELOCUTION. 

Belonging  to  his  honor ;   and  this  man 

Hath,  for  a  few  light  crowns,  lightly  conspired, 

And  sworn  unto  the  practices  of  France, 

To  kill  us  here  in  Hampton :   to  the  which 

This  knight*  no  less  for  bounty  bound  to  us 

Than  Cambridge  is,  hath  likewise  sworn.     But  O! 

What  shall  I  say  to  thee,  Lord  Scroop :  thou  cruel. 

In  grateful  savage,  and  inhuman  creature  ! 

Thou,  that  didst  bear  the  key  of  all  my  counsels, 

That  almost  mightst  have  coined  me  into  gold, 

Wouldst  thou  have  practiced  on  me  for  thy  use  ? 
***** 
If  that  same  demon,  that  hath  gull'd  thee  thus, 
Should  with  his  lion  gait  walk  the  whole  world, 
He  might  return  to  vasty  Tartar  back, 
And  tell  the  legions,  I  can  never  win 
A  soul  so  easy  as  that  Englishman's. 
O,  how  hast  thou  with  jealousy  infected 
The  sweetness  of  affiance  !    Show  men  dutiful  ? 
Why,  so  didst  thou  ;    Seem  they  grave  and  learned  ? 
Why,  so  didst  thou:    Come  they  of  noble  family? 
Why,  so  didst  thou  :   Seem  they  religious? 
Why,  so  didst  thou.     I  will  weep  for  thee; 
For  this  revolt  of  thine,  methinks,  is  like 
Another  fall  of  man. — Their  faults  are  open : 
Arrest  them  to  the  answer  of  the  law  ; 
And  God  acquit  them  of  their  practices  ! 


THE    FUNNY    STORY. 

JOSEPHINE   POLLARD. 

IT  was  such  a  funny  story !  how  I  wish  you   could  have 

heard  it ; 

For  it  set  us  all  a-laughing  from  the  little  to  the  big; 
I'd  really  like  to  tell  it,  but  I  don't  know  how  to  word  it, 
Though  it  travels  to  the  music  of  a  very  lively  jig. 


SELECTIONS.  277 

If  Sally  just  began  it,  then  Amelia  Jane  would  giggle, 
And  Mehetabel  and  Susan  try  their  very  broadest  grin  ; 
And  the  infant  Zachariah  on  his  mother's  lap  would  wriggle, 
And  add  a  lusty  chorus  to  the  very  merry  din. 

It  was  such  a  funny  story,  with  its  cheery  snap  and  crackle, 
And  Sally  always  told  it  with  such  dramatic  art. 
That  the  chickens  in  the  door-yard  would  begin  to  "  cackle- 
cackle," 
As  if  in  such  a  frolic  they  were  anxious  to  take  part. 

It  was   all   about   a — ha!    ha! — and  a — ho!   ho!   ho! — well 

really, 

It  is — he!  he!  he  ! — I  could  never  begin  to  tell  you  half 
Of  the  nonsense  there  was  in  it,  for  I  just  remember  clearly 
It  began  with  ha  !  ha  !  ha  !  ha  !  and  it  ended  with  a  laugh. 

But  Sally — she  could  tell  it,  looking  at  us  so  demurely, 
With  a  woe-begone  expression  that  no  actress  would  despise; 
And  if  you'd  never  heard  it,  why,  you  would  imagine,  surely, 
That  you'd  need  your  pocket-handkerchief    to   wipe  your 
weeping  eyes." 

When  age  my  hair  has  silvered,  and  my  step  has  grown  un- 
steady, 

And  the  nearest  to  my  vision  are  the  scenes  of  long  ago, 

I  shall  see  the  pretty  picture,  and  the  tears  will  come  as 
ready 

As  the  laugh  did,  when  I  used  to  ha!  ha!  ha!  ha!  and— 
ho  !  ho  !  ho ! 


THE   SPINNING-WHEEL   SONG. 

JOHN   F.    WALLER. 

MELLOW  the  moonlight  to  shine  is  beginning  ; 
Close  by  the  window  young  Eileen  is  spinning; 
Bent  o'er  the  fire,  her  blind  grandmother,  sitting, 
Is  crooning,  and  moaning,  and  drowsily  knitting,- 


278  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

"  Eileen,  achora,  I  hear  some  one  tapping." 

"  'Tis  the  ivy,  dear  mother,  against  the  glass  flapping." 

"Eileen,  I  surely  hear  somebody  sighing." 

"'Tis  the  sound,  mother  dear,  of  the  summer  wind  dying.'1 

Merrily,  cheerily,  noisily  whirring, 

Swings  the  wheel,  spins  the  reel,  while  the  foot's  stirring ; 

Sprightly,  and  lightly,  and  airily  ringing, 

Thrills  the  sweet  voice  of  the  young  maiden  singing. 

"  What's  that  noise  that  I  hear  at  the  window,  I  wonder  ?  " 
"  'Tis  the  little  birds  chirping  the  holly-bush  under." 
"  What  makes  you  be  shoving  and  moving  your  stool  on, 
And  singing  all  wrong  that  old  song  of  '  The  Coolun '  ?  " 
There's  a  form  at  the  casement, — the  form  of  her  true-love,— 
And  he  whispers,  with  face  bent,   "I'm  waiting    for    you, 

love. 

Get  up  on  the  stool,  through  the  lattice  step  lightly, 
We'll  rove  in  the  grove  while  the  moon's  shining  brightly." 

Merrily,  cheerily,  noisily  whirring, 

Swings  the  wheel,  spins  the  reel,  while  the  foot's  stirring ; 

Sprightly,  and  lightly,  and  airily  ringing, 

Thrills  the  sweet  voice  of  the  young  maiden  singing. 

The  maid  shakes  her  head,  on  her  lip  lays  her  fingers, 
Steals  up  from  her  seat, — longs  to  go,  and  yet  lingers  ; 
A  frightened  glance  turns  to  her  drowsy  grandmother, 
Puts  one  foot  on  the  stool,  spins  the  wheel  with  the  other. 

Lazily,  easily,  swings  now  the  wheel  round ; 
Slowly  and  lowly  is  heard  now  the  reel's  sound  ; 
Noiseless  and  light  to  the  lattice  above  her 
The  maid  steps, — then  leaps  to  the  arms  of  her  lover. 
Slower — and  slower — and  slower  the  wheel  swings; 
Lower — and  lower — and  lower  the  reel  rings  ; 
Ere  the  reel  and  the  wheel  stop  their  ringing  and  moving — 
Through    the    grove    the   young   lovers   by  moonlight  are 
roving. 


SELECTIONS.  279 

TROUBLE   IN   THE  "AMEN  CORNER.' 

T.    C.    HARBAUGH. 

'TWAS  a  stylish  congregation,  that  of  Theophrastus  Brown, 
And  its  organ  was  the  finest  and  the  biggest  in  the  town, 
And  the  chorus, — all  the  papers  favorably  commented  on  it, 
For  'twas  said  each  female  member  had  a  forty-dollar  bon- 
net. 

Now  in  the  "  amen  corner  "  of  the  church  sat  Brother  Eyer, 
Who  persisted  every  Sabbath-day  in  singing  with  the  choir  ; 
He  was  poor,  but  genteel-looking,  and  his  heart  as  snow  was 

white, 
And  his  old  face  beamed  with  sweetness  when  he  sang  with 

all  his  might. 

His  voice  was  cracked  and  broken,  age  had  touched  his  vocal 

chords, 

And  nearly  every  Sunday  he  would  mispronounce  the  words 
Of  the  hymns,  and  'twas  no  wonder,  he  was  old  and  nearly 

blind, 
And  the  choir  rattling  onward  always  left  him  far  behind. 

The  chorus  stormed  and  blustered,  Brother  Eyer  sang  too 
slow, 

And  then  he  used  the  tunes  in  vogue  a  hundred  years  ago ; 

At  last  the  storm-cloud  burst,  and  the  church  was  told,  in 
fine, 

That  the  brother  must  stop  singing,  or  the  choir  would  re- 
sign. 

Then  the  pastor  called  together  in  the  lecture-room  one  day 
Seven  influential  members  who  subscribe  more  than  they 

pay, 

And  having  asked  God's  guidance  in  a  printed  prayer  or 

two, 
They  put  their  heads  together  to  determine  what  to  do. 


280  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

They  debated,  thought,  suggested,  till  at  last  "  dear  Brother 

York," 

Who  last  winter  made  a  million  on  a  sudden  rise  in  pork, 
Rose  and  moved  that  a  committee  wait  at  once  on  Brother 

Ever, 
And  proceed  to  rake  him  lively  "  for  disturbin'  of  the  choir." 

Said  he  :  "  In  that  'ere  organ  I've  invested  quite  a  pile, 
And  we'll  sell  it  if  we  cannot  worship  in  the  latest  style ; 
'Our  Philadelphy  tenor  tells  me  'tis  the  hardest  thing 
Fer  to  make  God  understand  him  when  the  brother  tries  to 
sing. 

"  We've  got  the  biggest  organ  and  the  best-dressed  choir 

in  town, 

We  pay  the  steepest  sal'ry  to  our  pastor,  Brother  Brown ; 
But  if  we  must  humor  ignorance  because  it's  blind  and  old, — 
If  the  choir's  to  be  pestered,  I  will  seek  another  fold." 

Of  course  the  motion  carried,  and  one  day  a  coach  and  four, 
With  the  latest  style  of  drivtr,  rattled  up  to  Eyer's  door; 
And  the  sleek,  well-dressed  committee,  Brothers  Sharkey, 

York,  and  Lamb, 
As  they  crossed  the  humble  portal  took  good  care  to  miss 

the  jamb. 

They  found  the  choir's  great  trouble  sitting  in  his  old  arm- 
chair, 

And  the  summer's  golden  sunbeams  lay  upon  his  thin  white 
hair; 

He  was  singing  "  Rock  of  Ages  "  in  a  voice  both  cracked  and 
low, 

But  the  angels  understood  him,  'twas  all  he  cared  to  know. 

Said  York  :  "  We're  here,  dear  brother,  with  the  vestry's  ap- 
probation, 
To  discuss  a  little  matter  that  affects  the  congregation ;" 


SELECTIONS.  281 

"  And  the  choir,  too,  "  said  Sharkey,  giving  Brother  York  a 

nudge, 
"And  the  choir,   too!"  he  echoed  with  the  graveness  of  a 

judge. 

"  It   was    the    understanding  when    we   bargained    for   the 

chorus, 

That  it  was  to  relieve  us,  that  is,  do  the  singin'  for  us  ; 
If  we  rupture  the  agreement,  it  is  very  plain,  clear  brother, 
It  will  leave  our  congregation  and  be  gobbled  by  another. 

"  We  don't  want  any  singin'  except  that  what  we've  bought ! 
The  latest   tunes  are  all  the  rage  ;  the  old  ones  stand  for 

naught ; 

And  so  we  have  decided — are  you  listening  Brother  Eyer  ? 
That  you'll  have  to  stop  your  singin*  for  it  flurrytates  the 

choir." 

The  old  man  slowly  raised  his  head,  a  sign  that  he  did  hear, 

And  on  his  cheek  the  trio  caught  the  glitter  of  a  tear ; 

His  feeble  hands  pushed  back  the  locks  white  as  the  silky 

snow, 
As  he  answered  the  committee  in  a  voice  both  sweet  and 

low : 

"  I've  sung  the  psalms  of  David  for  nearly  eighty  years, 
They've  been  my  staff  and  comfort  and  calmed  life's  many 

fears  ; 

I'm  sorry  I  disturb  the  choir,  perhaps  I'm  doing  wrong  ; 
But  when  my  heart  is  filled  with  praise,  I  can't  keep  back  the 

song. 

"  I  wonder  if  beyond  the  tide  that's  breaking  at  my  feet. 
In  the  far-off  heavenly  temple,  where  the  Master  I  shall 

greet,— 

Yes,  I  wonder  when  I  try  to  sing  the  songs  of  God  up  higher, 
If  the  angel  band  will  church  me  for  disturbing   heaven's 

choir." 


282  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

A  silence  filled  the  little  room  ;  the  old  man  bowed  his  head ; 
The  carriage  rattled  on  again,  but  Brother  Eyer  was  dead  ! 
Yes,  dead  !  his  hand  had  raised  the  veil  the  future  hangs 

before  us, 
And  the  Master  dear  had  called  him  to  the  everlasting  chorus. 

The  choir  missed  him  for  a  while,  but  he  was  soon  forgot, 
A  few  church-goers  watched  the  door  ;  the  old  man  entered 

not. 
Far  away,  his  voice  no  longer  cracked,  he  sings  his  heart's 

desires, 
Where  there  are  no  church  committees  and  no  fashionable 

choirs  I 


MARION  MOORE. 

JAS.    G.    CLARK. 

GONE  art  them,  Marion,  Marion  Moore, — 
Gone  like  the  bird  in  the  autumn  that  singeth, 
Gone  like  the  flower  by  the  way-side  that  springeth, 
Gone  like  the  leaf  of  the  ivy  that  clingeth 

Round  the  lo-ne  rock  on  the  storm-beaten  shore. 

Dear  wert  them,  Marion,  Marion  Moore, — 
Dear  as  the  tide  in  my  broken  heart  throbbing, 
Dear  as  the  soul  orer  thy  memory  sobbing : 
Sorrow  my  life  of  its  roses  is  robbing  ; 

Wasting  is  all  the  glad  beauty  of  yore. 

I  will  remember  thee,  Marion  Moore, — 
I  shall  remember,  alas  !  to  regret  thee ; 
I  will  regret  when  all  others  forget  thee ; 
Deep  in  my  breast  will  the  hour  that  I  met  thee 

Linger  and  burn  till  life's  fever  is  o'er. 


SELECTIONS.  283 

Gone  art  thou,  Marion,  Marion  Moore  ! — 
Gone  like  the  breeze  o'er  the  billow  that  bloweth, 
Gone  as  the  rill,  to  the  ocean  that  floweth, 
Gone  as  the  day  from  the  gray  mountain  goeth, 

Darkness  behind  thee,  but  glory  before. 

Peace  to  thee,  Marion,  Marion  Moore, — 
Peace  which  the  queens  of  the  earth  cannot  borrow, 
Peace  from  a  kingdom  that  crowned  thee  with  sorrow  ; 
O  !  to  be  happy  with  thee  on  the  morrow, 

Who'would  not  fly  from  this  desolate  shore  ? 


WORLDLY   WISDOM. 

ETHEL   LYNN. 

"  OH,  ma,  it  is  dreadful  ! 

I've  quarreled  with  John, 
And  left  him  forever 
To  live  all  alone. 

"  He  will  not  go  with  me 

To  party  or  ball ; 
At  home  in  the  evening, 
He  won't  talk  at  all. 

"  He  is  perfectly  horrid, 

And  stingy  and  queer; 
I  don't  want  to  see  him, 
Or  know  he  is  near." 

"  Well,  Tillie,  I  told  you 

The  same  long  ago, 
When  John  was  beginning 
To  act  like  a  beau. 

"  And  you  might  have  married 

Old  Gunnybags'  heir. 
'Tis  very  provoking 
For  me,  I  declare  ! 


284  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

"  And  John  is  a  fogy 

And  acts  like  a  brute, 
To  deny  you  a  party 
Or  opera  suit. 

"  A  mean,  ugly  fellow — " 

"  Why,  ma,  I  am  sure 
John  never  was  stingy, 
Although  he  was  poor. 

"  He  is  always  respectful 

And  clever  to  you  ; 
So  tender  and  patient, 
Whatever  I  do. 

"And  now  I  remember, 
He  said  he  would  go 
To  the  Madisons'  party — 
How  can  you  talk  so  ? 

"  Poor,  patient  old  fellow  ! 
Fm  going  right  back  ; 
I'll  tell  him  I'm  sorry, 
And  then — I'll  unpack." 

The  worldly-wise  mother 

Looked  over  at  me  : 
"  I  know  how  to  manage 
Matilda,  you  see." 


THE  MIRACLE  OF  CANA. 

FRED    EMERSON    BROOKS. 

THE  water-pots  were  filled  at  God's  behest ; 
Yet  in  the  marriage  wine  no  grape  was  pressed  ; 
No  tired  feet  the  weary  wine-press  trod 
To  make  this  sacred  vintage  of  our  God; 
As  nature  doth  confess  a  power  divine, 
Each  drop  of  moisture  turned  itself  to  wine. 


SELECTIONS.  285 

In  spite  of  arguments  in  Jesus  met, 

The  world  is  full  of  doubting  skeptics  yet ; 

Believing  naught  but  they  themselves  have  seen, 

They  doubt  the  miracle  of  Palestine  ; 

They  find  the  Holy  Bible  filled  with  flaws, 

And  pin  their  doubting  faith  to  Nature's  laws. 

Ye  scoffers  of  our  sacred  Lord,  pray  tell 
Who  tinted  first  the  water  in  the  well  ? 
Who  painted  atmospheric  moisture  blue  ? 
Or  gave  the  ocean  waves  their  constant  hue, 
Whose  moisture  raised  in  clouds,  all  colors  lack, 
The  fleecy  ones  so  white,  the  storm  king's  black, 
Save  where  the  evening  sun's  bright  rays  incline 
To  turn  this  fleecy  moisture  into  wine, 
And  lay  a  benediction  on  them  all 
Like  purple  grapes  hung  on  a  golden  wall? 
'Twas  thus  our  Lord  a  sacred  radiance  shed, 
Slow  turning  Cana's  water  vintage  red. 

If  lilies  at  His  bidding  from  the  soil 
Spring  up,  that  neither  know  to  spin  nor  toil, 
In  beauty  yet  more  gorgeously  arrayed 
Than  he  of  old  who  that  great  temple  made, 
Then  why  may  not  the  gentle  evening  dew 
At  God's  command  take  on  a  ruddy  hue  ? 

This  whirling,  surging  world  was  made  by  One 
Who  could  have  made  the  wine  as  rivers  run  ; 
Yet  put  a  sweeter  nectar  in  the  rills 
Fresh  rippling  from  the  vintage  of  the  hills. 

Watch  nature's  miracle — when  day  is  dead — 
When  blushing  Helios,  his  good-night  said, 
Slow  dipping  his  hot  face  in  cooling  brine, 
Turns  all  the  ocean  billows  into  wine. 

The  sun  and  rain  stretch  o'er  the  earth  a  bow 
With  tints  more  beautiful  than  win-j  can  show, 


286  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

A  frescoed  arch  in  gorgeous  colors  seven, — 

A  bridge,  where  weak  belief  may  walk  to  heaven. 

Who  hath  not  seen  at  sunset  on  the  plain 

A  passing  storm-cloud,  dropping  blood-red  rain  ; 

A  great  libation  poured  at  Nature's  shrine, 

To  fill  Sol's  golden  cup  with  evening  wine  ? 

Since  Nature  doth  such  miracles  perform, 

Why  may  not  He,  who  makes  and  rules  the  storm, 

Of  all  His  miracles  the  first  and  least, 

Tint  a  few  drops  for  Cana's  wedding  feast  ? 

The  greatest  marriage  at  the  end  shall  be 

When  time  is  wedded  to  eternity  ! 

All  bidden  are,  the  greatest  and  the  least, 

To  taste  the  wine  at  heaven's  great  wedding  feast ! 

Where  all  the  ransomed  universe  shall  sing  : 

Hosanna  !  to  the  Everlasting  King  ! 


.LUELLA. 

JOHN   VANCE   CHENEY. 

KATE'S  at  her  best  in  an  apron, 

Jinny's  bewitching  by  gas, 
While  Becky,  in  kitchen  or  parlor, 
Is  just  the  ne  phis  of  a  lass  ; 
But  Katie  and  Jinny, 
With  Sadie  and  Minnie 
And  Becky  and  Bella, 
Are  not — not  Luella. 

Deb,  in  the  choir  of  a  Sunday, 

Sings  like  a  bird  in  the  bough  ; 
Brisk  Nan  sits  a  saddle  superbly, 
And  Betty's  a  charmer,  somehow  ; 
But  Debby  and  Nanny, 
And  Betty  and  Annie, 
And  Edna  and  Stella, 
Are  not — not  Luella. 


SELECTIONS.  287 

Fan  is  a  sylph  in  a  bonnet, 

Nett  has  her  dozens  undone ; 

Grave  Addy  would  madden  Adonis, 

And  Caddy  is  certain  to  stun ; 

But  Fanny  and  Addy, 

And  Netty  and  Caddy, 

And  Hetty  and  Delia, 

Are  not — not  Luella. 

Clara — the  turn  of  her  ankle  ! 

Dolly — her  eyes  and  her  smile  ! 
And  where  is  the  match  for  Samantha 
(Unless  it  be  Molly)  in  style  ? 
But  Clara  and  Dolly, 
Samantha  and  Molly, 
And  Esther  and  Ella, 
Are  not — not  Luella. 

Heavens,  what  a  reign  of  all  graces  ! 

Each  is  a  queen  in  her  way : 
And  turning  it  over  and  over, 
There's  only  a  word  left  to  say : 
Give  me  one  and  another 
For  this  and  the  other, 
But,  oh!  fora  "fellah"— 
Luella!  Luella! 


SMITING  THE  ROCK. 

THE  stern  old  judge,  in  relentless  mood, 
Glanced  at  the  two  who  before  him  stood; 
She  was  bowed  and  haggard  and  old, 
He  was  young  and  defiant  and  bold,- — 
Mother  and  son  ;  and  to  gaze  at  the  pair, 
Their  different  attitudes,  look,  and  air, 
One  would  believe,  ere  the  truth  were  known, 
The  mother  convicted,  and  not  the  son. 


288  VOICE   CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

There  was  the  mother :   the  boy  stood  nigh 
With  a  shameless  look,  and  his  head  held  higho 
Age  had  come  over  her,  sorrow  and  care ; 
These  mattered  but  little  so  he  was  there, 
A  prop  to  her  years  and  a  light  to  her  eyes, 
And  prized  as  only  a  mother  can  prize ; 
But  what  for  him  could  a  mother  say, 
Waiting  his  doom  on  a  sentence-day. 

Her  husband  had  died  in  his  shame  and  sin ; 
And  she  a  widow,  her  living  to  win, 
Had  toiled  and  struggled  from  morn  till  night, 
Making  with  want  a  wearisome  fight, 
Bent  over  her  work  with  resolute  zeal, 
Till  she  felt  her  old  frame  totter  and  reel, 
Her  weak  limbs  tremble,  her  eyes  grow  dim ; 
But  she  had  her  boy,  and  she  toiled  for  him. 

And  he, — he  stood  in  the  criminal  dock, 
With  a  heart  as  hard  as  a  flinty  rock, 
An  impudent  glance  and  a  reckless  air, 
Braving  the  scorn  of  the  gazers  there ; 
Dipped  in  crime  and  encompassed  round 
With  proof  of  his  guilt  by  captors  found, 
Ready  to  stand,  as  he  phrased  it,  "game," 
Holding  not  crime,  but  penitence,  shame. 

Poured  in  a  flood  o'er  the  mother's  cheek 

The  moistening  prayers  where  the  tongue  was  weak; 

And  she  saw  through  the  rnist  of  those  bitter  tears 

Only  the  child  in  his  innocent  years; 

She  remembered  him  pure  r*s  a  child  might  be, 

The  guilt  of  the  present  she  could  not  see ; 

And  for  mercy  her  wistful  looks  made  prayer 

To  the  stern  old  judge  in  his  cushioned  chair. 

"  Woman,"  the  old  judge  crabbecily  said — 

"Your  boy  is  the  neighborhood's  plague  and  dread; 


SELECTIONS.  280 

Of  a  gang  of  reprobates  chosen  chief ; 
An  idler  and  rioter,  ruffian  and  thief. 
The  jury  did  right,  for  the  facts  were  plain; 
Denial  is  idle,  excuses  are  vain. 
The  sentence  the  court  imposes  is  one — " 
"  Your  honor,"  she  cried,  tl  he's  my  only  son  !  " 

The  tipstaves  grinned  at  the  words  she  spoke, 
And  a  ripple  of  fun  through  the  court-room  broke ; 
But  over  the  face  of  the  culprit  came 
An  angry  look  and  a  shadow  of  shame. 

"  Don't  laugh  at  my  mother  !  "  loud  cries  he; 

"  You've  got  me  fast,  and  can  deal  with  me  ; 
But  she's  too  good  for  your  coward  jeers, 
And  I'll — "  then  his  utterance  choked  with  tears. 

The  judge  for  a  moment  bent  his  head, 

And  looked  at  him  keenly,  and  then  he  said : 
"  We  suspend  the  sentence, — the  boy  can  go;" 

And  the  words  were  tremulous,  forced,  and  low; 
"  But  say  !  "  and  he  raised  his  finger  then — 
"  Don't  let  them  bring  you  hither  again. 

There  is  something  good  in  you  yet,  I  know; 

I'll  give  you  a  chance — make  the  most  of  it — Go  ! " 

The  twain  went  forth,  and  the  old  judge  said; 
"  I  meant  to  have  given  him  a  year  instead. 
And  perhaps  'tis  a  difficult  thing  to  tell 
If  clemency  here  be  ill  or  well. 
But  a  rock  was  struck  in  that  callous  heart, 
From  which  a  fountain  of  good  may  start ; 
For  one  on  the  ocean  of  crime  long  tossed, 
Who  loves  his  mother,  is  not  quite  lost." 
19 


290  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

SONG  OF   THE  MYSTIC, 

FATHER   RYAN. 

I  WALK  through  the  Valley  of  Silence, — 
Down  the  deep,  voiceless  valley, — alone; 

And  I  hear  not  the  fall  of  a  footstep 
Around  me, — save  God's  and  my  own; 

And  the  hush  of  my  heart  is  as  holy 
As  hovers  where  angels  have  flown  ! 

Long  ago,  was  I  weary  of  voices 

Whose  music  my  heart  could  not  win ; 

Long  ago,  I  was  weary  of  noises 

That  fretted  my  soul  with  their  din ; 

Long  ago  I  was  weary  of  places 

Where  I  met  but  the  Human, — and  Sin. 

I  walked  through  the  world  with  the  worldly, 
I  craved  what  the  world  never  gave, 

And  said,  "  In  the  world,  each  ideal, 
That  shines  like  a  star  on  life's  wave, 

Is  thrown  on  the  shore  of  the  Real, 
And  sleeps  like  a  dream  in  a  grave." 

And  still  did  I  pine  for  the  Perfect, 

And  still  found  the  False  with  the  True; 

I  sought  'mid  the  Human  for  Heaven, 
But  caught  a  mere  glimpse  of  its  blue; 

And  I  wept  when  the  clouds  of  the  Mortal 
Veiled  even  that  glimpse  from  my  view. 

And  I  toiled  on,  heart  tired  of  the  Human, 
And  I  mourned  'mid  the  mazes  of  men, 

Till  I  knelt  long  ago  at  an  altar, 

And  heard  a  voice  call  me  :   since  then 

I  walk  down  the  Valley  of  Silence 
That  lies  far  beyond  mortal  ken. 

Do  you  ask  what  I  found  in  the  Valley  ? 
'Tis  my  trysting-place  with  the  Divine; 


SELECTIONS.  2pl 

And  I  fell  at  the  feet  of  the  Holy, 

And  above  me  a  voice  said,  "Be  Mine." 

Then  rose  from  the  depth  of  my  spirit 
An  echo,  "  My  heart  shall  be  thine." 

Do  you  ask  how  I  live  in  the  Valley  ? 

I  weep,  and  I  dream,  and  I  pray  ; 
But  my  tears  are  as  sweet  as  the  dew-drops 

That  fall  on  the  roses  in  May ; 
And  my  prayer  like  a  perfume  from  censer, 

Ascendeth  to  God  night  and  day. 

In  the  hush  of  the  Valley  of  Silence 

I  dream  all  the  songs  that  I  sing ; 
And  the  music  floats  down  the  dim  valley 

Till  each  finds  a  word  for  a  wing 
That  to  men,  like  the  dove  of  the  Deluge, 

The  message  of  Peace  they  may  bring. 

But  far  on  the  deep  there  are  billows 

That  never  shall  break  on  the  beach, 
And  I  have  heard  songs  in  the  silence 

That  never  shall  float  into  speech  ; 
And  I  have  had  dreams  in  the  Valley 

Too  lofty  for  language  to  reach. 

And  I  have  seen  thoughts  in  the  Valley, — 

Ah  me  !  how  my  spirit  was  stirred ! 
And  they  wear  holy  veils  on  their  faces, 

Their  footsteps  can  scarcely  be  heard; 
They  pass  through  the  valley  like  virgins, 

Too  pure  for  the  touch  of  a  word. 

Do  you  ask  me  that  place  of  the  Valley, 
Ye  hearts  that  are  harrowed  by  care  ? 

It  lieth  afar  between  mountains, 

And  God  and  his  Angels  are  there ; 

And  one  is  the  dark  mount  of  Sorrow, 
And  one  the  bright  mountain  of  Prayer. 


292  VOICE    CULTURE    AND   ELOCUTION. 

MONEY  MUSK. 

B.   F.  TAYLOR. 
[From  "  The  Old  Barn."] 

AH,  the  buxom  girls  that  helped  the  boys — 
The  nobler  Helens  of  humbler  Troys — 
As  they  stripped  the  husks  with  rustling  fold 
From  eight-rowed  corn  as  yellow  as  gold, 

By  the  candle-light  in  pumpkin  bowls, 
And  the  gleams  that  showed  fantastic  holes 
In  the  quaint  old  lantern's  tattooed  tin, 
From  the  hermit  glim  set  up  within ; 

By  the  rarer  light  in  girlish  eyes 
As  dark  as  wells,  or  as  blue  as  skies. 
I  hear  the  laugh  when  the  ear  is  red, 
I  see  the  blush  with  the  forfeit  paid, 

The  cedar  cakes  with  the  ancient  twist, 
The  cider  cup  that  the  girls  have  kissed, 
And  I  see  the  fiddler  through  the  dusk 
As  he  twangs  the  ghost  of  "Money  Musk  ! " 

The  boys  and  girls  in  a  double  row 
Wait  face  to  face  till  the  magic  bow 
Shall  whip  the  tune  from  the  violin, 
And  the  merry  pulse  of  the  feet  begin. 

MONEY   MUSK. 

In  shirt  of  check  and  tallowed  hair, 
The  fiddler  sits  in  the  bulrush  chair 
Like  Moses'  basket  stranded  there 

On  the  brink  of  Father  Nile. 
He  feels  the  fiddle's  slender  neck, 
Picks  out  the  notes  with  thrum  and  check, 
And  times  the  tune  with  nod  and  beck, 

And  thinks  it  a  weary  while. 


SELECTIONS.  293 

All  ready  !  Now  he  gives  the  call, 
Cries,  "Honor  to  the  ladies  !  "  All 
The  jolly  tides  of  laughter  fall 

And  ebb  in  a  happy  smile. 
D-o-w-n  comes  the  bow  on  every  string, 
"First  couple  join  right  hands  and  swing  !  " 
As  light  as  any  blue-bird's  wing, 

"Swing  once  and  a  half  times  round  !  " 
Whirls  Mary  Martin  all  in  blue — 
Calico  gown  and  stockings  new, 
And  tinted  eyes  that  tell  you  true, 

Dance  all  to  the  dancing  sound. 
She  flits  about  big  Moses  Brown, 
Who  holds  her  hands  to  keep  her  down 
And  thinks  her  hair  a  golden  crown, 

And  his  heart  turns  over  once  ! 
His  cheek  with  Mary's  breath  is  wet, 
It  gives  a  second  somerset  ! 
He  means  to  win  the  maiden  yet, 

Alas,  for  the  awkward  dunce  ! 
Your  stoga  boot  has  crushed  my  toe  ! 
I'd  rather  dance  with  one-legged  Joe  ! 
You  clumsy  fellow  !  "     "  Pass  below  !  " 

And  the  first  pair  dance  apart. 
Then  " Forward  six  /"  advance,  retreat, 
Like  midges  gay  in  sunbeam  street,      • 
'Tis  Money  Musk  by  merry  feet 

And  Money  Musk  by  heart  ! 
'Three  quarters  round  your  partners  swing  !  " 
'Across  the  set !  "     The  rafters  ring, 
The  girls  and  boys  have  taken  wing 

And  have  brought  their  roses  out  ! 
'Tis  "Forward  six  /"  with  rustic  grace, 
Ah,  rarer  far  than — "  Swing  to  place  /" 
Than  golden  clouds  of  old  point-lace, 

They  bring  the  dance  about. 


294  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

Then  clasping  hands  all— "Right  and  left  !  " 
All  swiftly  weave  the  measure  deft 
Across  the  woof  in  loving  weft, 

And  the  Money  Musk  is  done  ! 
Oh,  dancers  of  the  rustling  husk, 
Good-night,  sweethearts,  'tis  growing  dusk, 
Good-night  for  aye  to  Money  Musk, 

For  the  heavy  march  begun  ! 


THE  ISLE  OF  LONG  AGO. 

B.    F.    TAYLOR. 

OH,  a  wonderful  stream  is  the  river  Time, 

As  it  runs  through  the  realm  of  tears, 
With  a  faultless  rhythm  and  musical  rhyme, 
And  a  boundless  sweep  and  a  surge  sublime, 

As  it  blends  with  the  Ocean  of  Years. 

How  the  winters  are  drifting,  like  flakes  of  snow, 

And  the  summers  like  buds  between ; 
And  the  year  in  the  sheaf — so  they  come  and  they  go, 
On  the  river's  breast,  with  its  ebb  and  flow, 

As  it  glides  in  the  shadow  and  sheen. 

There's  a  magical  isle  up  the  river  Time, 
Where  the  softest  of  airs  are  playing; 
There's  a  cloudless  sky  and  a  tropical  clime. 
And  a  song  as  sweet  as  a  vesper  chime, 
And  the  Junes  with  the  roses  are  slaying. 

And  the  name  of  that  Isle  is  the  Long  Ago, 

And  we  bury  our  treasures  there ; 
There  are  brows  of  beauty  and  bosoms  of  snow — 
There  are  heaps  of  dust — oh  !  we  loved  them  so ! — 

There  are  trinkets  and  tresses  of  hair. 


SELECTIONS.  295 

There  are  fragments  of  song  that  nobody  sings, 

And  a  part  of  an  infant's  prayer ; 
There's  a  lute  unswept,  and  a  harp  without  strings, 
There  are  broken  vows  and  pieces  of  rings, 

And  the  garments  our  dead  used  to  wear. 

There  are  hands  that  are  waved,  when  the  fairy  shore 

By  the  mirage  is  lifted  in  air ; 

And  we  sometimes  hear,  through  the  turbulent  roar, 
Sweet  voices  we  heard  in  days  gone  before, 

When  the  wind  down  the  river  is  fair. 

Oh,  remembered  for  aye  be  the  blessed  Isle, 

All  the  day  of  our  life  till  night — 
When  the  evening  comes  with  its  beautiful  smile, 
And  our  eyes  are  closing  to  slumber  awhile, 

May  that  "  Greenwood  "  of  Soul  be  in  sight ! 


TOM. 

CONSTANCE  FENIMORE  WOOLSON. 

YES,  Tom's  the  best  fellow  that  ever  you  knew. 

Just  listen  to  this: 

When  the  old  mill  took  fire,  and  the  flooring  fell  through, 
And  I  with  it,  helpless  there,  full  in  my  view 
What  do  you  think  my  eyes  saw  through  the  fire 
That  crept  along,  crept  along,  nigher  and  nigher, 
But  Robin,  my  baby-boy,  laughing  to  see 
The  shining?    He  must  have  come  there  after  me, 
Toddled  alone  from  the  cottage  without 
Any  one's  missing  him. 

Then,  what  a  shout — 

Oh  !  how  I  shouted,  "  For  Heaven's  sake,  men, 
Save  little  Robin  !  "     Again  and  again 
They  tried,  but  the  fire  held  them  back  like  a  wall. 
I  could  hear  them  go  at  it,  and  at  it,  and  call, 


296  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

"  Never  mind,  baby,  sit  still  like  a  man, 
We're  coining  to  get  you  as  fast  as  we  can." 
They  could  not  see  him,  but  I  could.     He  sat 
Still  on  a  beam,  his  little  straw  hat 
Carefully  placed  by  his  side  ;   and  his  eyes 
Stared  at  the  flame  with  a  baby's  surprise, 
Calm  and  unconscious,  as  nearer  it  crept. 

The  roar  of  the  fire  up  above  must  have  kept 

The  sound  of  his  mother's  voice,  shrieking  his  name, 

From  reaching  the  child.     But  I  heard  it.     It  came 

Again  and  again.     Oh,  God,  what  a  cry  ! 

The  axes  went  faster ;   I  saw  the  sparks  fly 

Where  the  men  worked  like  tigers,  nor  minded  the  heat 

That  scorched  them — when,  suddenly,  there  at  their  feet, 

The  great  beams  leaned  in — they  saw  him — then,  crash, 

Down  came  the  wall !     The  men  made  a  dash, — 

Jumped  to  get  out  of  the  way, — and  I  thought, 

"  All's  up  with  poor  little  Robin  !  "  and  brought 

Slowly  the  arm  that  was  least  hurt  to  hide 

The  sight  of  the  child  there, — when  swift,  at  my  side, 

Some  one  rushed  by,  and  went  right  through  the  flame? 

Straight  as  a  dart — caught  the  child — and  then  came 

Back  with  him,  choking  and  crying,  but — saved  ! 

Saved  safe  and  sound  ! 

Oh,  how  the  men  raved, 

Shouted,  and  cried,  and  hurrahed  !     Then  they  all 
Rushed  at  the  work  again,  lest  the  back  wall 
Where  I  was  lying,  away  from  the  fire, 
Should  fall  in  and  bury  me. 

Oh  !  you'd  admire 

To  see  Robin  now ;  he's  as  bright  as  a  dime, 
Deep  in  some  mischief,  too,  most  of  the  time. 
Tom,  it  was,  saved  him.     Now,  isn't  it  true 
Tom's  the  best  fellow  that  ever  you  knew  ? 
There's  Robin  now  !     See,  he's  strong  as  a  log  ! 
And  there  comes  Tom  too — 

Yes,  Tom  was  our  dog. 


SELECTIONS.  297 

THE  FROG  AND  THE  FRENCHMAN. 

FRED   EMERSON   BROOKS. 

WHEN  the  grass  comes  slowly  creeping 
O'er  the  meadows,  in  good  keeping 

With  the  spring, 
Then  appears  the  early  peeper, 
Who,  to  lull  the  wanton  sleeper, 

'Gins  to  sing. 

Formerly,  he  used  to  sail 
By  the  motion  of  his  tail, 

When  pollywog  ; 
But  he  lost  that  institution, 
In  the  course  of  evolution 

To  the  frog. 

Such  a  cunning  little  fellow, 

With  his  breast  a  greenish-yellow ; 

He  will  go 

Tuning  up  that  voice  unfailing, 
As  young  roosters,  when  first  tailing, 
"Try  to  crow. 

On  a  lily-pad  he'll  teeter, 

And  maintain  he  sings  much  sweeter 

Than  a  bird  ; 
A  canary — the  last  feather, 
Washed  away  by  rainy  weather, 

Take  his  word ; 

So  absurd. 

When  he  grows  a  little  sweeter, 
Epicurean  frog-eater 

Always  begs 

That  his  deft  and  agile  henchman 
Will  go  catch  this  tender  Frenchman, 

For  his  legs. 


298  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

So  he  hies  him  to  the  pond, 
Or  the  eddy  just  beyond, 

In  the  creek, — 

Where  he  finds  the  full-grown  frog 
Basking  on  a  cozy  log; 

Hear  him  speak : 
"  Greek  meets  Greek  ! 
Chug-a-reek  ! 

"  I'm  suspicious  of  your  nation, 
Though  I  like  your  conversation : 

Parlez-vous  ; 

But  if  you  are  not  polite,  sir, 
I'll  jump  quickly  out  of  sight,  sir, 

Entre-nous  ! 

Chug-a-roo  ! 

"  Do  you  think,  oh,  simple  sinner. 
You  will  catch  a  Sunday  dinner 

With  a  bug  ? 

Regardez  !  begin  to  banter 
With  'red  rag,'  I'm  gone  instanter ; 

Chug-a-rug  ! 

Chug-a-riig! 

"  Shrug  your  shoulders  well,  monsieur ^ 
There's  no  use  to  make  detour, 

I  know  your  game. 
Pm  content  to  parlez-vous, 
If  my  broken  French  will  do, 
But  I'll  keep  an  eye  on  you, 

All  the  same, 

Chug-a-rame  ! 

"  Like  the  Premiere  Danseuset 
A  fat  frog  is  of  no  use, 
Save  his  limb ; 


SELECTIONS.  299 


So  like  '  sprinter'  on  his  pegs, 
I  had  better  stretch  my  legs, 

Nice  and  trim, 

For  a  swim, 

Chug-a-rim  ! 

In  the  brink 

Don't  you  think  ? 

Chug-a-rink  ! 

Ch  ug-  a-rink  ! 

Chug-a-rink  / 

•  Were  I  cooked  and  on  a  plate, 
You  would  have  a  tete-d-tete, 

'  Avec  amour, ' 
With  fair  lady  vis-d-vis  ; 
Two  is  pleasant  company, 
Always  spoiled  by  number  three, 
So,  Bonjour  !  " 

11  Ze  same  to  you  !" 
"  Taisez  vous  /" 
"  Parbleu  !  " 
t(  Chiig-a-roo  ! 
Hu-hu-hoo  !  " 


THE  POWER  OF  HABIT. 

J.  B.   GOUGH. 

I  REMEMBER  once  riding  from  Buffalo  to  the  Niagara  Falls. 
I  said  to  a  gentleman,  "  What  river  is  that,  sir  ?  " 

"That,"  he  said,  "  is  Niagara  River." 

"Well,  it  is  a  beautiful  stream,"  said  I;  "bright  and  fair 
and  glassy;  how  far  off  are  the  rapids  ?  " 

"  Only  a  mile  or  two,"  was  the  reply. 

"Is  it  possible  that  only  a  mile  from  us  we  shall  find  the 
water  in  the  turbulence  which  it  must  show  near  to  the 
Falls  ?  " 


300  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

"  You  will  find  it  so,  sir."  And  so  I  found  it;  and  the 
first  sight  of  Niagara  I  shall  never  forget.  Now,  launch 
your  bark  on  that  Niagara  river ;  it  is  bright,  smooth,  beau- 
tiful and  glassy.  There  is  a  ripple  at  the  bow  ;  the  silver 
wake  you  leave  behind  adds  to  your  enjoyment.  Down  the 
stream  you  glide,  oars,  sails,  and  helm  in  proper  trim,  and 
you  set  out  on  your  pleasure  excursion.  Suddenly  some  one 
cries  out  from  the  bank,  "Young  men,  ahoy  !  " 

"  What  is  it  ?  " 

"The  rapids  are  below  you." 

44  Ha  !  hah  !  we  have  heard  of  the  rapids,  but  we  are  not 
such  fools  as  to  get  there.  If  we  go  too  fast,  then  we  shall 
up  with  the  helm  and  steer  to  the  shore  ;  we  will  set  the 
mast  in  the  socket,  hoist  the  sail,  and  speed  to  the  land. 
Then  on,  boys  ;  don't  be  alarmed — there  is  no  danger." 

''  Young  men,  ahoy  there  !  " 

"  What  is  it  ?  " 

44  The  rapids  are  below  you  !  " 

4 'Ha!  hah!  we  will  laugh  and  quaff;  all  things  delight 
us.  What  care  we  for  the  future  !  No  man  ever  saw  it. 
Sufficient  for  the  day  is  the  evil  thereof.  We  will  enjoy  life 
while  we  may  ;  will  catch  pleasure  as  it  flies.  This  is  enjoy- 
ment ;  time  enough  to  steer  out  of  danger  when  we  are 
sailing  swiftly  with  the  current." 

"  Young  men,  ahoy  !  " 

"  What  is  it  ?  " 

44  Beware  !     Beware  !     The  rapids  are  below  you  !  " 

Now  you  see  the  water  foaming  all  around.  See  how 
fast  you  pass  that  point  !  Up  with  the  helm  !  Now  turn  ! 
Pull  hard  !  quick  !  quick  !  quick  !  pull  for  your  lives  !  pull  till 
the  blood  starts  from  your  nostrils  and  the  veins  stand  like 
whip-cords  upon  your  brows  !  Set  the  mast  in  the  socket  ! 
hoist  the  sail !  Ah  S  ah  !  it  is  too  late  !  Shrieking,  cursing, 
howling,  blaspheming,  over  they  go. 

Thousands  go  over  the  rapids  every  year,  through  the 
power  of  habit,  crying  all  the  while,  4i  When  I  find  out  that 
it  is  injuring  me,  I  will  give  it  up  ! " 


SELECTIONS.  301 

THE  FIELD  OF  WATERLOO. 

BYRON. 

STOP  ! — for  thy  tread  is  on  an  empire's  dust ! 
An  earthquake's  spoil  is  sepulchered  below  ! 
Is  the  spot  marked  with  no  colossal  bust  ? 
Nor  column,  trophied  for  triumphal  show  ? 
None  :  but  the  moral's  truth  tells  simpler  so. 
As  the  ground  was  before,  thus  let  it  be, — 
How  that  red  rain  has  made  the  harvest  grow  ! 
And  is  this  all  the  world  hath  gained  by  thee, 
Thou  first  and  last  of  fields  !  king-making  victory  ? 

There  was  a  sound  of  revelry  by  night, 
And  Belgium's  capital  had  gathered  then 
Her  Beauty  and  her  Chivalry  :  and  bright 
The  lamps  shone  o'er  fair  women  and  brave  men  ; 
A  thousand  hearts  beat  happily  ;  and  when 
Music  arose  with  its  voluptuous  swell, 
Soft  eyes  looked  love  to  eyes  which  spake  again, 
And  all  went  merry  as  a  marriage  bell ; — 
But  hush  !  hark  !  a  deep  sound  strikes  like  a  rising  knell ! 

Did  ye  not  hear  it  ? — No  ; — 'twas  but  the  wind, 
Or  the  car  rattling  o'er  the  stony  street  ; 
On  with  the  dance  !  let  joy  be  unconfined, 
No  sleep  till  morn,  when  youth  and  pleasure  meet 
To  chase  the  glowing  hours  with  flying  feet — 
But  hark  ! — that  heavy  sound  breaks  in  once  more, 
As  if  the  clouds  its  echo  would  repeat ; 
And  nearer,  clearer,  deadlier  than  before  ! 
Arm  !  arm  !  it  is  ! — it  is  the  cannon's  opening  roar  ! 

Within  a  windowed  niche  of  that  high  hall 
Sat  Brunswick's  fated  chieftain  ;  he  did  hear 
That  sound  the  first  amidst  the  festival, 
And  caught  its  tone  with  Death's  prophetic  ear  ; 


302  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

And  when  they  smiled  because  he  deemed  it  near, 
His  heart  more  truly  knew  that  peal  too  well 
Which  stretched  his  father  on  a  bloody  bier, 
And  roused  the  vengeance  blood  alone  could  quell ; 
He  rushed  into  the  field,  and,  foremost  fighting,  fell ! 

Ah  !  then  and  there  was  hurrying  to  and  fro, 
And  gathering  tears,  and  tremblings  of  distress, 
And  cheeks  all  pale,  which  but  an  hour  ago 
Blushed  at  the  praise  of  their  own  loveliness  ; 
And  there  were  sudden  partings,  such  as  press 
The  life  from  out  young  hearts,  and  choking  sighs 
Which  ne'er  might  be  repeated ;  who  could  guess 
If  ever  more  should  meet  those  mutual  eyes, 
Since  upon  night  so  sweet  such  awful  morn  could  rise  ? 

And  there  was  mounting  in  hot  haste  ;  the  steed, 
The  mustering  squadron,  and  the  clattering  car, 
Went  pouring  forward  with  impetuous  speed, 
And  swiftly  forming  in  the  ranks  of  war  ; 
And  the  deep  thunder,  peal  on  peal,  afar; 
And  near,  the  beat  of  the  alarming  drum 
.Roused  up  the  soldier  ere  the  morning  star ; 
While  thronged  the  citizens  with  terror  dumb, 
Or  whispering  with  white  lips,  "The   foe  !  they  come,  they 
come  !  " 

And  wild  and  high  the  "Cameron's  gathering"  rose  ! 
The  war-note  of  Lochiel,  which  Albin's  hills 
Have  heard — and  heard  too  have  her  Saxon  foes  : — 
How  in  the  noon  of  night  that  pibroch  thrills, 
Savage  and  shrill  !    But  with  the  breath  which  fills 
Their  mountain-pipe,  so  fill  the  mountaineers 
With  the  fierce  native  daring,  which  instills 
The  stirring  memory  of  a  thousand  years  ; 
And  Evan's,  Donald's  fame  rings  in  each  clansman's  ears. 

And  Ardennes  waves  above  them  her  green  leaves, 
Dewy  with  nature's  tear-drops,  as  they  pass, 


SELECTIONS.  303 

Grieving — if  aught  inanimate  e'er  grieves — 
Over  the  unreturning  brave — alas  ! 
Ere  evening  to  be  trodden  like  the  grass, 
Which  now  beneath  them,  but  above  shall  grow 
In  its  next  verdure,  when  this  fiery  mass 
Of  living  valor,  rolling  on  the  foe, 
And  burning  with  high  hope,  shall  molder  cold  and  low  ! 

Last  noon  beheld  them  full  of  lusty  life, 
Last  eve  in  Beauty's  circle  proudly  gay  ; 
The  midnight  brought  the  signal  sound  of  strife ; 
The  morn  the  marshaling  in  arms  ;  the  day 
Battle's  magnificently  stern  array  ; 
The  thunder-clouds  close  o'er  it,  which  when  rent, 
The  earth  is  covered  thick  with  other  clay, 
Which  her  own  clay  shall  cover — heaped  and  pent, 
Rider  and  horse— friend,  foe — in  one  red  burial  blent ! 


TEAMSTER  JIM. 

ROBERT   J.    BURDETTE. 

IT  an't  jest  the  story,  parson,  to  tell  in  a  crowd  like  this, 
Weth  the  virtuous  matron  a  frownin'  an'  chidin'  the  gigglin* 

miss, 
An'  the  good  old  deacon  a  noddin'  in  time  weth  his  patient 

snores, 
An'  the   shocked  aleet  of  the  capital  stalkin'  away  through 

the  doors. 

But  then,  it's  a  story  thet  happened,  an'  every  word   of  it's 

true, 
An'  sometimes  we  can't  help  talkin'  of  the  things  thet  we 

sometimes  do. 
An'  though  good  society  coldly  shets  its  doors  onto  "  Teamster 

Jim," 
I'm   thinkin'  ther's  lots  worse  people  thet's  better  known 

than  him. 


304  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

I  mind  the  day  he  was  married,  an'  I  danced  at  the  weddin', 

too  ; 
An'  I    kissed    the  bride,    sweet  Maggie — daughter  of  Ben 

McGrew. 
I  mind  how  they  set  up  housekeeping  two  young,  poor,  happy 

fools, 
When  Jim's  only  stock  was  a  heavy  truck  an'  four  Kaintucky 

mules. 

Well,  they  lived    along  contented  with  their  little  joys  an' 

cares, 

An'  every  year  a  baby  come,  an*  twicet  they  come  in  pairs  ; 
Till  the  house  was  full  of  children,  weth  their  shoutin'  and 

playin'  and  squalls, 
An'  their  singin'and  laughin'  and  cryin'  made  Bedlam  within 

its  walls. 

An'  Jim,  he  seemed  to  like  it,  an'  he  spent  all  his  evenin's  at 

home. 
He  said  it  was  full  of  music  an'  light,  an'  peace  from  pit  to 

dome, 
He  joined  the  church,  an'  he  used  to  pray  that  his  heart 

might  be  kept  from  sin — 
The  stumblin'st  prayin' — but  heads  and  hearts  used  to  bow 

when  he'd  begin. 

So  they  lived  along  in  that  way,  the  same  from  day  to  day, 
With  plenty  of  time  for  drivin'   work,  an'  a  little  time  for 

play, 
An'  growin'  round  'em  the  sweetest  girls  and  the  liveliest, 

manliest  boys, 
Till  the  old  gray  heads  of  the  two  old  folks  was  crowned 

with  the  homeliest  joys. 

Eh?     Come  to  my  story?     Well,  that's  all.     They're  livin* 

just  like  I  said, 
Only  two  of  the  girls  is  married,  an' one  of  the  boys  is  dead, 


SELECTIONS.  305 

An'  they're  honest,  an'  decent  an'  happy,  an'  the  very  best 

Christians  I  know, 
Though  I  reckon  in  brilliant  comp'ny  they'd  be  voted  a  leetle 

slow. 

Oh,  you're  pressed  for  time — excuse  you  ?      Sure,  I'm  sorry 

I  kept  you  so  long  ; 
Good  by.     Now  he  looked  kind  o'  bored  like,  an'  I  reckon 

that  I  was  wrong 
To  tell  such  a  commonplace  story  of  two  such  commonplace 

lives, 
But  we  can't  all  git  drunk  an'  gamble  an'  fight,  an'  run  off 

with  other  men's  wives. 


WHAT  MY  LOVER  SAID. 

HOMER   GREENE. 

BY  the  merest  chance,  in  the  twilight  gloom, 

In  the  orchard  path  he  met  me  ; 
In  the  tall,  wet  grass,  with  its  faint  perfume, 
And  I  tried  to  pass,  but  he  made  no  room, 

Oh,  I  tried,  but  he  would  not  let  me. 
So  I  stood  and  blushed  till  the  grass  grew  red, 

With  my  face  bent  down  above  it, 
While  he  took  my  hand  as  he  whispering  said- 
(How  the  clover  lifted  each  pink,  sweet  head, 
To  listen  to  all  that  my  lover  said; 

Oh,  the  clover  in  bloom,  I  love  it  I) 

In  the  high,  wet  grass  went  the  path  to  hide, 
And  the  low,  wet  leaves  hung  over ; 

But  I  could  not  pass  upon  either  side, 

For  I  found  myself,  when  I  vainly  tried, 
In  the  arms  of  my  steadfast  lover. 

And  he  held  me  there  and  he  raised  my  head, 
While  he  closed  the  path  before  me, 
20 


306  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

And  he  looked  down  into  my  eyes  and  said — 

(How  the  leaves  bent  down  from  the  boughs  o'erhead. 

To  listen  to  all  that  my  lover  said, 

Oh,  the  leaves  hanging  lowly  o'er  me  i) 

Had  he  moved  aside  but  a  little  way, 

I  could  surely  then  have  passed  him  ; 
And  he  knew  I  never  could  wish  to  stay, 
And  would  not  have  heard  what  he  had  to  say, 

Could  I  only  aside  have  cast  him. 
It  was  almost  dark,  and  the  moments  sped, 

And  the  searching  night  wind  found  us, 
But  he  drew  me  nearer  and  softly  said — 
(How  the  pure,  sweet  wind  grew  still,  instead, 
To  listen  to  all  that  my  lover  said  ; 

Oh,  the  whispering  wind  around  us  !) 

I  am  sure  he  knew  when  he  held  me  fast, 

That  I  must  be  all  unwilling  ; 
For  I  tried  to  go,  and  I  would  have  passed, 
As  the  night  was  come  with  its  dew,  at  last, 

And  the  sky  with  its  stars  was  filling. 
But  he  clasped  me  close  when  I  would  have  fled, 

And  he  made  me  hear  his  story, 
And  his  soul  came  out  from  his  lips  and  said — 
(How  the  stars  crept  out  where  the  white  moon  led. 
To  listen  to  all  that  my  lover  said  ; 

Oh,  the  moon  and  the  stars  in  glory  !) 

I  know  that  the  grass  and  the  leaves  will  not  tell, 

And  I'm  sure  that  the  wind,  precious  rover, 
Will  carry  my  secret  so  safely  and  well 

That  no  being  shall  ever  discover 
One  word  of  the  many  that  rapidly  fell 

From  the  soul-speaking  lips  of  my  lover  ; 

And  the  moon  and  the  stars  that  looked  over 
Shall  never  reveal  what  a  fairy-like  spell 


SELECTIONS.  307 

They  wove  round  about  us  that  night  in  the  dell, 
In  the  path  through  the  dew-laden  clover, 

Nor  echo  the  whispers  that  made  my  heart  swell 
As  they  fell  from  the  lips  of  my  lover. 


TELL  ON  HIS  NATIVE  HILLS. 


OH,  with  what  pride  I  used 
To  walk  these  hills,  and  look  up  to  my  God, 
And  thank  him  that  the  land  was  free.     'Twas  free— 
From  end  to  end,  from  cliff  to  lake  'twas  free ! 
Free  as  our  torrents  are  that  leap  our  rocks, 
And  plow  our  valleys  without  asking  leave  ! 
Or  as  our  peaks,  that  wear  their  caps  of  snow 
In  very  presence  of  the  regal  sun  ! 

How  happy  was  it  then  !      I  loved 
Its  very  storms.     Yes,  I  have  sat 
In  my  boat  at  night,  when,  midway  o'er  the  lake, 
The  stars  went  out,  and  down  the  mountain  gorge 
The  wind  came  roaring.     I  have  sat  and  eyed 
The  thunder  breaking  from  his  cloud,  and  smiled 
To  see  him  shake  his  lightnings  o'er  my  head, 
And  think  I  had  no  master  save  his  own  ! 

On  yonder  jutting  cliff — o'ertaken  there 
By  the  mountain  blast,  I've  laid  me  flat  along, 
And  while  gust  followed  gust  more  furiously, 
As  if  to  sweep  me  o'er  the  horrid  brink, 
And  I  have  thought  of  other  lands,  whose  storms 
Are  summer-flaws  to  those  of  mine,  and  just 
Have  wished  me  there— the  thought  that  mine  was  free 
Has  checked  that  wish,  and  I  have  raised  my  head, 
And  cried  in  thralldom  to  that  furious  wind, 
Blow  on !— this  is  the  land  of  liberty  ! 


308  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

IF  WE  KNEW. 

IF  we  knew  the  woe  and  heartache 

Waiting  for  us  down  the  road, 
If  our  lips  could  taste  the  wormwood, 

If  our  backs  could  feel  the  load; 
Would  we  waste  the  day  in  wishing 

For  a  time  that  ne'er  can  be  ? 
Would  we  wait  with  such  impatience 

For  our  ships  to  come  from  sea  ? 

If  we  knew  the  baby  fingers, 

Pressed  against  the  window  pane, 
Would  be  cold  and  stiff  to-morrow, 

Never  trouble  us  again ; 
Would  the  bright  eyes  of  our  darling 

Catch  the  frown  upon  our  brow  ? 
Would  the  prints  of  rosy  fingers 

Vex  us  then  as  they  do  now  ? 

Ah,  those  little  ice-cold  fingers  ! 

How  they  point  our  memories  back 
To  the  hasty  words  and  actions 

Strewn  along  our  backward  track  ! 
How  those  little  hands  remind  us, 

As  in  snowy  grace  they  lie, 
Not  to  scatter  thorns,  but  roses, 

For  our  reaping  by  and  by. 

Strange  we  never  prize  the  music 

Till  the  sweet- vofced  bird  has  flown ; 
Strange  that  we  should  slight  the  violets 

Till  the  lovely  flowers  are  gone ; 
Strange  that  summer  skies  and  sunshine 

Never  seem  one-half  so  fair, 
As  when  winter's  snowy  pinions 

Shake  their  white  down  in  the  air. 


SELECTIONS.  309 

Lips  from  which  the  seal  of  silence 

None  but  God  can  roll  away, 
Never  blossomed  in  such  beauty 

As  adorns  the  mouth  to-day  ; 
And  sweet  words  that  freight  our  memory 

With  their  beautiful  perfume, 
Come  to  us  in  sweeter  accents 

Through  the  portals  of  the  tomb. 

Let  us  gather  up  the  sunbeams, 

Lying  all  around  our  path  ; 
Let  us  keep  the  wheat  and  roses, 

Casting  out  the  thorns  and  chaff ; 
Let  us  find  our  sweetest  comfort 

In  the  blessings  of  to-day  ; 
With  a  patient  hand  removing 

All  the  briers  from  our  way. 


GRANNAM  AND  BLUE  EYES. 

JOHN    VANCE   CHENEY. 

"  How  many  days  since  you  were  a  child  ?  " 
The  blue-eyed  boy  looked  up  and  smiled — 
"  Grannam,  the  days  since  you  were  a  child  ?"" 
"  Dear  soul,  I  cannot  tell  ; 
Would  I  had  lived  them  well." 

*4  How  many  month's  since  you  were  a  child  ?  " 

He  climbed  her  knee  and  sweeter  smiled — 
"Grannam,  the  months  since  you  were  a  child  ?  " 
"  'Twere  wiser  far  for  me 
To  count  the  few  to  be." 

"  How  many  years  since  you  were  a  child  ?  " 

Blue  as  the  sky  his  eyes,  so  mild — 
"  Grannam,  the  years  since  you  were  a  child  ?  " 
"  The  years  are  not  for  me  ; 
God  give  a-many  to  thee  !  " 


310  VOICE    CULTURE    AND   ELOCUTION. 

Soft  did  she  stroke  his  pretty  brown  head, 

But  not  another  word  she  said  ; 

He  waited  long — not  a  word  she  said, 

And  Blue  Eyes  slipt,  once  more, 
To  his  playthings  on  the  floor. 


RAIN  ON  THE  ROOF. 

COATES    KINNEY. 

WHEN  the  humid  shadows  gather  over  all  the  starry  spheres, 
And  the  melancholy  darkness  gently  weeps  in  rainy  tears, 
'Tis  a  joy  to  press  the  pillow  of  a  cottage  chamber  bed, 
And  listen  to  the  patter  of  the  soft  rain  overhead. 

Every  tinkle  on  the  shingles  has  an  echo  in  the  heart, 
And  a  thousand  dreamy  fancies  into  busy  being  start ; 
And  a  thousand  recollections  weave  their  bright  hues  into 

woof, 
As  I  listen  to  the  patter  of  the  soft  rain  on  the  roof. 

There   in   fancy  comes   my  mother,  as   she  used  to   years 

agone, 

To  survey  the  infant  sleepers  ere  she  left  them  till  the  dawn. 
I  can  see  her  bending  o'er  me,  as  I  listen  to  the  strain 
Which  is  played  upon  the  shingles  by  the  patter  of  the  rain. 

Then    my  little  seraph  sister,  with  her  wings  and  waving 

hair, 
And   her   bright-eyed,  cherub     brother — a  serene,  angelic 

pair — 
Glide  around  my  wakeful  pillow  with  their  praise  or  mild 

reproof, 
As  I  listen  to  the  murmur  of  the  soft  rain  on  the  roof. 

And  another  comes  to  thrill  me  with  her  eyes'  delicious  blue  : 
I  forget,  as  gazing  on  her,  that  her  heart  was  all  untrue  ; 
I  remember  that  I  loved  her  as  I  ne'er  may  love  again, 
And   my  heart's   quick  pulses   vibrate  to  the  patter  of  the 
rain. 


SELECTIONS.  311 

There  is  naught  in  art's  bravuras  that  can  work  with  such  a 
spell, 

In  the  spirit's  pure,  deep  fountains,  whence  the  holy  pas- 
sions well, 

As  that  melody  of  nature — that  subdued,  subduing  strain, 

Which  is  played  upon  the  shingles  by  the  patter  of  the  rain. 


CROSSING  OF  THE  RUBICON. 

KNOWLES. 

A  GENTLEMAN,  Mr.  President,  speaking  of  Cassar's  be- 
nevolent disposition,  and  of  the  reluctance  with  which  he 
had  entered  into  the  civil  war,  observes,  "  How  long  did  he 
pause  upon  the  brink  of  the  Rubicon  ?"  How  came  he  to 
the  brink  of  that  river  ?  How  dared  he  cross  it  ?  Shall 
private  men  respect  the  boundaries  of  private  property,  and 
shall  a  man  pay  no  respect  to  the  boundaries  of  his  country's 
rights  ?  How  dared  he  cross  that  river?  Oh,  but  he  paused 
upon  the  brink  !  He  should  have  perished  upon  the  brink 
ere  he  had  crossed  it  !  Why  did  he  pause  ?  Why  does  a 
man's  heart  palpitate  when  he  is  on  the  point  of  committing 
an  unlawful  deed  ?  Why  does  the  very  murderer,  his  vic- 
tim sleeping  before  him,  and  his  glaring  eye  taking  the 
measure  of  the  blow,  strike  wide  of  the  mortal  part  ?  Be- 
cause of  conscience  !  'Twas  that  made  Cassar  pause  upon 
the  brink  of  the  Rubicon.  Compassion  !  What  compassion  ? 
The  compassion  of  an  assassin,  that  feels  a  momentary  shud- 
der as  his  weapon  begins  to  cut  ! 

Caesar  paused  upon  the  brink  of  the  Rubicon.  What  was 
the  Rubicon  ?  The  boundary  of  Caesar's  province.  From 
what  did  it  separate  his  province  ?  From  his  country.  Was 
that  country  a  desert  ?  No  ;  it  was  cultivated  and  fertile, 
rich  and  populous  !  Its  sons  were  men  of  genius,  spirit,  and 
generosity  !  Its  daughters  were  lovely,  susceptible,  and 
chaste  !  Friendship  was  its  inhabitant !  Love  was  its  in- 
habitant !  Domestic  affection  was  its  inhabitant  !  Liberty 


312  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

was  its  inhabitant  !  All  bounded  by  the  stream  of  the  Ru- 
bicon !  What  was  Caesar,  that  stood  upon  the  bank  of  that 
stream  ?  A  traitor,  bringing  war  and'  pestilence  into  the 
heart  of  that  country.  No  wonder  that  he  paused — no  won- 
der if,  his  imagination  wrought  upon  by  his  conscience,  he 
had  beheld  blood  instead  of  water,  and  heard  groans  instead 
of  murmurs !  No  wonder  if  some  gorgon  horror  had 
turned  him  into  stone  upon  the  spot!  But,  no  ! — he  cried, 
"  The  die  is  cast ! "  He  plunged  ! — he  crossed  ! — and  Rome 
was  free  no  more  ! 


THE   TRAMP  AND   THE   CUR. 

FRED    EMERSON   BROOKS. 
[Written  for  Voice  Culture  and  Elocution.] 
HELLO,  ye  little  wanderin'  cur  ! 
Don't  be  afraid  I'll  hurt  ye,  sir  ! 
Let's  get  acquainted,  as  it  were  ; 

Tell  us  your  name  ! 
What,  neither  name  nor  pedigree  ? 
Well,  I'm  about  as  bad,  you  see  : 
I'm  called  a  tramp ;   'twixt  you  and  me 

'Tis  all  the  same. 

Come  here,  I'll  share  my  crust  with  you  : 

Enough  for  one's  enough  for  two  ! 

Ye  want  a  friend — and  friends  are  few  ? 

That's  just  my  case. 
You're  poor  and  homely,  by  the  by, 
And  somewhat  ragged, — so  am  I ; 
And  yet,  there's  somethin'  in  your  eye 

That's  not  so  base. 

Come  right  up  here,  ye  little  scamp  ! 
I  wouldn't  hurt  ye — I'm  a  tramp  ! 
Tell  me  what  makes  your  eye  so  damp ; 

Have  ye  some  sorrow  ? 
What,  lost  your  father  ?  Needn't  whine  ! 


SELECTIONS.  313 

And  mother  too  ?     Well,  I've  lost  mine  ! 
Suppose  we  lonely  orphans  dine, 
And  weep  to-morrow  ! 

At  this  one  meal  you'll  be  my  guest ; 
Though  plain,  'tis  easier  to  digest  ! 
Dyspepsia  never  brings  unrest 

To  me  nor  you. 

We'll  be  companions  from  this  date  : 
Misery  always  likes  a  mate  ; 
And  burdens  seem  to  lose  their  weight 

When  borne  by  two. 

On  velvet  cushion  by  the  hearth 
Sleeps  many  a  dog  not  half  your  worth, 
But,  since  ye  are  of  random  birth, 

Mankind  pass  by  ye. 
Having  no  way  to  earn  a  meal, 
You're  forced  to  either  starve  or  steal  ; 
Could  they  but  once  your  hunger  feel, 

They'd  not  deny  ye. 

Ye  have  good  right  as  well  as  they 
To  get  your  livin'  as  ye  may, 
For  man  is  but  a  bird  of  prey, 

That  lives  by  plunder  : 
To  rob  his  fellow  man,  a  creed  ; 
Take  from  the  earth  more  than  his  need  ; — 
That  he  ne'er  satisfies  his  greed 

Is  more  the  wonder. 

Life  is  one  continual  cramp, 

To  you  the  cur,  to  me  the  tramp, 

And  others  of  the  self-same  stamp 

That  want  our  name  : 
For  be  they  human,  be  they  brute, 
Many  are  in  the  same  pursuit — 
To  find  for  work  some  substitute, — 

That's  just  our  aim. 


314  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

You  never  need  be  friendless  more  ! 
Henceforth  we'll  tramp  from  door  to  door, 
Divide  each  day  our  scanty  store  : 

Quite  all  we  need. 
And  if  no  other  wealth  we  find 
Than  bliss  of  a  contented  mind, 
The  less  we'll  have  to  leave  behind 

For  legal  greed. 

A  dog  on  whom  ye  may  depend 
Is  better  than  a  faithless  friend  ; 
Though  pity  'tis  man  must  descend 

Fealty  to  find  ! 

God's  noblest  oft  becomes  so  base, 
And  such  a  blot  upon  the  race 
That  e'en  his  dog  feels  the  disgrace 

And  sneaks  behind. 

Pray  do  not  cringe,  nor  yelp,  nor  whine, 
Nor  bark  too  loud  when  you  would  dine, 
But  raise  that  curly  question  sign 

Behind  ye  saggin'  ! 
You'll  find  this  maxim  never  fail : — 
Too  long  a  tongue  will  not  prevail ; 
You'll  do  more  coaxin*  with  your  tail; 

So  keep  it  waggin' ! 

And  those  soft  eyes,  my  little  friend, 
Will  all  your  meager  wants  commend ; 
And  thus  by  pleadin'  at  each  end 

You'll  get  your  dinner! 
If  one  no  other  crime  commits 
Than  simply  livin'  by  his  wits, 
'Tis  beggin',  which  the  world  permits 

Both  saint  and  sinner. 

Some  are  with  many  millions  blest ; 
Some  earn  so  little  at  their  best 


SELECTIONS.  315 

That  e'en  the  Sabbath  clay  of  rest 

They  may  not  take. 
Enough  for  all  is  nature's  plan, 
Yet,  in  her  myriad  caravan, 
The  only  miser  is  the  man, 

With  his  muck-rake. 

Had  circumstance  reversed  the  thing — 
Made  you  a  lap-dog,  me  a  king — 
Would  we  have  better  cause  to  sing  ? 

Pray  look  around  : 
The  earth  is  ours  without  its  care — 
The  flowers,  the  sunlight,  and  the  air  ! 
Oft  wealth  would  give  one-half  its  share 

To  sleep  as  sound. 

He  owns  the  most  who  wants  the  least, 
And  learns  contentment  from  the  beast  ! 
The  lesser  food  the  better  feast  ; 

So  let  us  feed  : 

Your  share  of  meat  and  all  the  bone  ! 
Since  friendship  only  may  be  shown 
For  what  we  are,  not  what  we  own, 

We're  friends  indeed  ! 


THE  CHARGE  OF  THE  LIGHT  BRIGADE. 

TENNYSON. 

HALF  a  league,  half  a  league, 

Half  a  league  onward, 
All  in  the  Valley  of  Death 

Rode  the  Six  Hundred. 
"  Forward,  the  Light  Brigade  ! 
Charge  for  the  guns  !  "  he  said  : 
Into  the  Valley  of  Death 

Rode  the  Six  Hundred. 


316  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

"  Forward,  the  Light  Brigade  !  r 
Was  there  a  man  dismayed  ? 
Not  though  the  soldier  knew 

Some  one  had  blundered  : 
Theirs  not  to  make  reply, 
Theirs  not  to  reason  why, 
Theirs  but  to  do  and  die  : 
Into  the  Valley  of  Death 

Rode  the  Six  Hundred. 

Cannon  to  right  of  them, 
Cannon  to  left  of  them, 
Cannon  in  front  of  them, 

Volleyed  and  thundered. 
Stormed  at  with  shot  and  shell, 
Boldly  they  rode  and  well  ; 
Into  the  jaws  of  Death, 
Into  the  mouth  of  Hell, 

Rode  the  Six  Hundred. 

Flashed  all  their  sabers  bare, 
Flashed  as  they  turned  in  air, 
Sabring  the  gunners  there, 
Charging  an  army,  while 

All  the  world  wondered. 
Plunged  in  the  battery  smoke, 
Right  through  the  line  they  broke  ; 
Cossack  and  Russian 
Reeled  from  the  saber-stroke, 

Shattered  and  sundered. 
Then  they  rode  back,  but  not, 

Not  the  Six  Hundred. 

Cannon  to  right  of  them, 
Cannon  to  left  of  them, 
Cannon  behind  them, 
Volleyed  and  thundered. 


SELECTIONS.  317 

Stormed  at  with  shot  and  shell, 
While  horse  and  hero  fell, 
They  that  had  fought  so  well 
Came  through  the  jaws  of  Death 
Back  from  the  mouth  of  Hell, 
All  that  was  left  of  them, 
Left  of  Six  Hundred. 

When  can  their  glory  fade  ? 
O  the  wild  charge  they  made  ! 

All  the  world  wondered. 
Honor  the  charge  they  made  ! 
Honor  the  Light  Brigade, 

Noble  Six  Hundred  ! 


NAPOLEON    BONAPARTE. 

PHILLIPS. 

IF  Napoleon's  fortune  was  great,  his  genius  was  transcen- 
dent ;  decision  flashed  upon  his  counsels  ;  and  it  was  the 
same  to  decide  and  to  perform.  To  inferior  intellects,  his 
combinations  appeared  perfectly  impossible,  his  plans  per- 
fectly impracticable  ;  but,  in  his  hands,  simplicity  marked 
their  development,  and  success  vindicated  their  adoption. 

His  person  partook  the  character  of  his  mind, — if  the  one 
never  yielded  in  the  cabinet,  the  other  never  bent  in  the  field. 
Nature  had  no  obstacles  that  he  did  not  surmount — space  no 
opposition  that  he  did  not  spurn  :  and,  whether  amid  Alpine 
rocks,  Arabian  sands,  or  polar  snows,  he  seemed  proof 
against  peril,  and  empowered  with  ubiquity  !  The  whole 
continent  of  Europe  trembled  at  beholding  the  audacity  of 
his  designs,  and  the  miracle  of  their  execution.  Skepticism 
bowed  to  the  prodigies  of  his  performance  ;  romance  as- 
sumed the  air  of  history  ;  nor  was  there  aught  too  incredible 
for  belief,  or  too  fanciful  for  expectation,  when  the  world 
saw  a  subaltern  of  Corsica  waving  his  imperial  flag  over  her 


318  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

most  ancient  capitals.  All  the  visions  of  antiquity  became 
commonplaces  in  his  contemplation  ;  kings  were  his  people 
— nations  were  his  outposts;  and  he  disposed  of  courts,  and 
crowns,  and  camps,  and  churches,  and  cabinets,  as  if  they 
were  the  titular  dignitaries  of  the  chess-board  ! 

Through  the  pantomime  of  his  policy,  fortune  played  the 
clown  to  his  caprices.  At  his  touch,  crowns  crumbled,  beg- 
gars reigned,  systems  vanished,  the  wildest  theories  took  the 
color  of  his  whim,  and  all  that  was  venerable,  and  all  that 
was  novel,  changed  places  with  the  rapidity  of  a  drama. 
Even  apparent  defeat  assumed  the  appearance  of  victory — 
his  flight  from  Egypt  confirmed  his  destiny — ruin  itself  only 
elevated  him  to  empire.  Amid  all  these  changes  he  stood 
immutable  as  adamant.  It  mattered  little  whether  in  the 
field  or  the  drawing-room,  with  the  mob  or  the  levee,  wear- 
ing the  Jacobin  bonnet  or  the  iron  crown — banishing  a  Bra- 
ganza,  or  espousing  a  Hapsburg — dictating  peace  on  a  raft 
to  the  czar  of  Russia,  or  contemplating  defeat  at  the  gallows 
of  Leipsic— he  was  still  the  same  military  despot  ! 


A   SIMILAR    CASE. 

JACK,  I  hear  you've  gone  and  done  it,- 

Yes,  I  know  ;  most  fellows  will  ; 
Went  and  tried  it  once  myself,  sir, 

Though  you  see  I'm  single  still. 
And  you  met  her — did  you  tell  me, 

Down  at  Newport,  last  July, 
And  resolved  to  ask  the  question 

At  a  soire'e  ?     So  did  I. 

I  suppose  you  left  the  ball-room, 
With  its  music  and  its  light ; 

For  they  say  love's  flame  is  brightest 
In  the  darkness  of  the  night. 


SELECTIONS.  319 

Well,  you  walked  along  together, 

Overhead  the  starlit  sky  ; 
And  I'll  bet — old  man,  confess  it — 

You  were  frightened.     So  was  I. 

So  you  strolled  along  the  terrace, 

Saw  the  summer  moonlight  pour 
All  its  radiance  on  the  waters, 

As  they  rippled  on  the  shore, 
Till  at  length  you  gathered  courage, 

When  you  saw  that  none  was  nigh — 
Did  you  draw  her  close  and  tell  her 

That  you  loved  her  ?     So  did  I. 

Well,  I  needn't  ask  you  further, 

And  I'm  sure  I  wish  you  joy. 
Think  I'll  wander  down  and  see  you 

When  you're  married — eh,  my  boy  ? 
When  the  honeymoon  is  over 

And  you're  settled  down,  we'll  try — 
What  ?  the  deuce  you  say  !     Rejected — 

You  rejected  ?     So  was  I. 


UNDER  THE  DAISIES. 

IT  is  strange  what  a  deal  of  trouble  we  take  ; 
What  a  sacrifice  most  of  us  willingly  make; 
How  our  lips  will  smile  though  our  hearts  may  ache  ; 
How  we  bend  to  the  ways  of  the  world  for  the  sake 

Of  its  poor  and  scanty  praises ; 
And  Time  runs  on  in  such  pitiless  flow, 
That  our  lives  are  wasted  before  we  know 
What  work  to  finish  ere  we  go 

To  our  long  sleep  under  the  daisies. 

How  often  we  fall  in  useless  fright ; 

How  often  is  wrong  in  the  place  of  right  ; 


320  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

And  the  end  is  so  far  beyond  our  sight, 

;Tis  as  when  one  starts  on  some  chase  by  night 

An  unknown  course  pursuing: 
And  we  find  at  the  end  of  the  race  that  we've  run 
That  of  all  we  have  sought  for  little  is  won  ; 
And  of  all  of  the  work  our  strength  has  done, 

How  little  was  worth  the  doing. 

So  most  of  us  travel  at  very  poor  speed  ; 
Failing  in  thought  while  we  conquer  in  deed, 
Least  brave  in  our  hour  of  greatest  need, 
And  making  a  riddle  that  few  can  read, 

Of  our  life  and  its  intricate  mazes. 
Such  a  labyrinth  of  right  and  wrong, 
Is  it  strange  that  a  heart  once  brave  and  strong 
Should  falter  at  last,  and  most  earnestly  long 

For  a  calm  sleep  under  the  daisies  ? 

But  if  one  grateful  heart  can  say 
"  Your  kindness  cheered  my  life's  rough  way," 
And  a  tear  shall  fall  on  our  senseless  clay, 
We  will  stand  up  in  Heaven  in  brighter  array 

Than  if  all  the  world  rang  with  our  praises  ; 
For  the  good  that  is  done,  it  never  will  fade 
Though  the  work  be  wrought  and  the  wages  paid, 
And  the  lifeless  form  of  the  laborer  laid 
All  peacefully  under  the  daisies. 


TRUTH    IN    PARENTHESIS. 

HOOD. 

I  REALLY  take  it  very  kind—- 
This visit,  Mrs.  Skinner  ; 

I  have  not  seen  you  such  an  age — 
(The  wretch  has  come  to  dinner  !) 


SELECTIONS.  32! 

Your  daughters,  too — what  loves  of  girls — 

What  heads  for  painters'  easels  ! 
Come  here,  and  kiss  the  infant,  dears  — 

(And  give  it,  p'rhaps  the  measles  !) 

Your  charming  boys,  I  see,  are  home, 

From  Reverend  Mr.  Russell's  ; 
'T  was  very  kind  to  bring  them  both — 

(What  boots  for  my  new  Brussels  !) 
What  !  little  Clara  left  at  home  ? 

Well,  now,  I  call  that  shabby  ! 
I  should  have  loved  to  kiss  her  so — 

(A  flabby,  dabby  babby  !) 

And  Mr.  S.,  I  hope  he's  well — 

But,  though  he  lives  so  handy, 
He  never  once  drops  in  to  sup — 

(The  better  for  our  brandy  !) 
Come,  take  a  seat — I  long  to  hear 

About  Matilda's  marriage  ; 
You've  come,  of  course,  to  spend  the  day — 

(Thank  Heaven  !  I  hear  the  carriage  !) 

What !  must  you  go  ? — next  time,  I  hope, 

You'll  give  me  longer  measure. 
Nay,  I  shall  see  you  down  the  stairs — 

(With  most  uncommon  pleasure  !) 
Good-bye  !  good-bye  !     Remember,  all, 

Next  time  you'll  take  your  dinners — 
(Now,  David,  mind — I'm  not  at  home, 

In  future,  to  the  Skinners.) 


TELL'S  APOSTROPHE  TO  THE  ALPS. 

KNOWLES. 

YE  crags  and  peaks,  I'm  with  you  once  again  ! 

I  hold  to  you  the  hands  you  first  beheld, 

To  show  they  still  are  free.     Methinks  I  hear 


322  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

A  spirit  in  your  echoes  answer  me, 

And  bid  your  tenant  welcome  to  his  home 

Again  ! — O  sacred  forms,  how  proud  you  look  ! 

How  high  you  lift  your  heads  into  the  sky  ! 

How  huge  you  are  !     How  mighty,  and  how  free  ! 

Ye  are  the  things  that  tower,  that  shine, — whose  smile 

Makes  glad,  whose  frown  is  terrible,  whose  forms, 

Robed  or  unrobed,  do  all  the  impress  wear 

Of  awe  divine.     Ye  guards  of  liberty, 

I'm  with  you  once  again  ! — I  call  to  you 

With  all  my  voice  ! — I  hold  my  hands  to  you, 

To  show  they  still  are  free.     I  rush  to  you 

As  though  I  could  embrace  you  ! 

Scaling  yonder  peak 
I  saw  an  eagle  wheeling  near  its  brow 
O'er  the  abyss  : — his  broad-expanded  wings 
Lay  calm  and  motionless  upon  the  air, 
As  if  he  floated  there  without  their  aid, 
By  the  sole  act  of  his  unlorded  will, 
That  buoyed  him  proudly  up.     Instinctively 
I  bent  my  bow  ;  yet  kept  he  rounding  still 
His  airy  circle,  as  in  the  delight 
Of  measuring  the  ample  range  beneath 
And  round  about  ;  absorbed,  he  heeded  not 
The  death  that  threatened  him.     I  could  not  shoot — 
'Twas  liberty  ! — I  turned  my  bow  aside, 
And  let  him  soar  away  ! 


THE  DYING  KNIGHT. 

THE  shadows  of  evening  are  thickening.  Twilight  closes 
and  the  thin  mists  are  rising  in  the  valley.  The  last  charg- 
ing squadron  yet  thunders  in  the  distance  ;  but  it  presses 
only  on  the  foiled  and  scattered  foe.  For  this  day  the  fight 
is  over  !  And  those  who  rode  foremost  in  its  field  at  morn- 
ing— where  are  they  now  ?  On  the  bank  of  yon  little  stream 


SELECTIONS.  323 

there  lies  a  knight,  his  life-blood  is  ebbing  faster  than  its 
tide.  His  shield  is  rent,  and  his  lance  is  broken.  Soldier, 
why  faintest  thou  ?  The  blood  that  wells  from  that  deep 
wound  will  answer. 

It  was  this  morning  that  the  sun  rose  bright  upon  his 
hopes — it  sets  upon  his  grave.  This  day  he  led  the  foremost 
rank  of  spears,  that  in  their  long  row  leveled  when  they  had 
crossed  their  foe's  dark  line — then  death  shouted  in  the 
onset  !  It  was  the  last  blow  that  reached  him.  He  has 
conquered,  though  he  shall  not  triumph  in  the  victory.  His 
breastplate  is  dinted.  His  helmet  has  the  traces  of  well- 
dealt  blows.  The  scarf  on  his  breast — she  would  shrink 
but  to  touch  it  now  who  placed  it  there.  Soldier,  what  will 
thy  mistress  say  ?  She  will  say  that  the  knight  died 
worthily. 

Aye,  rouse  thee,  for  the  fight  yet  charges  in  the  distance  ! 
Thy  friends  are  shouting — thy  pennon  floats  on  high.  Look 
on  yon  crimsoned  field  that  seems  to  mock  the  purple  clouds 
above  it  !  Prostrate  they  lie,  drenched  in  their  dark  red 
pool;  thy  friends  and  enemies;  the  dead  and  dying!  The 
veteran,  with  the  stripling  of  a  day.  The  nameless  trooper, 
and  the  leader  of  a  hundred  hosts.  Friend  lies  by  friend. 
The  steed  with  his  rider.  And  foes,  linked  in  their  long 
embrace — their  first  and  last — the  gripe  of  death.  Far  o'er 
the  field  they  lie,  a  gorgeous  prey  to  ruin  !  White  plume 
and  steel  morion  ;  saber  and  yataghan  ;  crescent  and  cross; 
rich  vest  and  bright  corselet: — we  came  to  the  fight,  as  we 
had  come  to  a  feasting  ;  glorious  and  glittering,  even  in 
death,  each  shining  warrior  lies  ! 

His  last  glance  still  seeks  that  Christian  banner  !  The  cry 
that  shall  never  be  repeated,  cheers  on  its  last  charge  !  "  Oh, 
but  for  strength  to  reach  the  field  once  more  !  to  die  in  the 
foe's  front  !  "  Peace,  dreamer  !  Thou  hast  done  well.  Thy 
place  in  the  close  rank  is  filled  ;  and  yet  another  waits  for 
his  who  holds  it. 

Knight,  hast  thou  yet  a  thought  ?  bend  it  on  Heaven  ! 
The  past  is  gone  ;  the  future  lies  before  thee.  Gaze  on  yon 


324  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

gorgeous  sky  ;  thy  home  should  be  beyond  it  !  Life,  honor, 
love — they  pass  to  Him  that  gave  them.  Pride,  that  came 
on  like  ocean's  billows — see  round  thee  how  it  lies  mute  and 
passive.  The  wealthy  here  are  poor.  The  high-born  have 
no  precedence.  The  strong  are  powerless  ;  the  mean,  con- 
tent. The  fair  and  lovely  have  no  followers.  Soldier  !  she 
who  sped  thee  on  thy  course  to-day,  her  blue  eyes  shall  seek 
thee  in  the  conquering  ranks  to-morrow  !  but  they  shall 
seek  thee  in  vain  !  Well  !  thus  it  is  thou  shouldst  have  died  ! 
— worth  all  to  live  for.  Wouldst  thou  be  base  to  have  thy 
death  a  blessing  ?  Proud  necks  shall  mourn  for  thee.  Bright 
eyes  shall  weep  for  thee.  They  that  live  envy  thee.  Death  ! 
glory  takes  out  thy  sting. 

Warrior  !  aye,  the  stream  of  that  rill  flows  cool  ;  but  thy 
lip  no  more  shall  taste  it.  The  moonlight  that  silvers  its 
white  foam  shall  glitter  on  thy  corselet,  when  thy  eye 
is  closed  and  dim.  Lo  !  now  the  night  is  coming.  The 
mist  is  gathering  on  the  hill.  The  fox  steals  forth  to  seek 
his  quarry,  and  the  gray  owl  sweeps  whirling  by,  rejoicing 
in  the  stillness.  Oh,  soldier  !  how  sweetly  sounds  thy  lady's 
lute  !  how  fragrant  are  the  dew-sprinkled  flowers  that  twine 
round  the  casement  from  which  she  leans  !  that  lute  shall 
enchant  thee,  those  flowers  shall  delight  thee — no  more. 

One  other  charge  !  Soldier,  it  may  not  be.  To  thy  saint 
and  thy  lady  commend  thee  !  Hark  to  the  low  trumpet  that 
sounds  the  recall  !  Hark  to  its  long  note  ;  sweet  is  that 
sound  in  the  ears  of  the  spent  and  routed  foe  !  The  victor 
hears  it  not.  When  the  breath  rose  that  blew  that  note,  he 
lived  ;  its  peal  has  rung,  and  his  spirit  has  departed.  Heath  ! 
thou  shouldst  be  the  soldier's  pillow  !  Moon  !  let  thy  cold 
ligfht  this  night  fall  upon  him  !  But,  morning  !  thy  soft  dews 
shall  tempt  him  not  !  the  soldier  must  wake  no  more.  He 
sleeps  the  sleep  of  honor.  His  cause  was  his  country's  free- 
dom, and  her  faith.  He  is  dead  !  The  cross  of  a  Christian 
knight  is  on  his  breast;  his  lips  are  pressed  to  his  lady's 
token. 

Soldier,  farewell  ! 


SELECTIONS.  325 

LIBERTY  AND  UNION. 

WEBSTER. 

WHILE  the  Union  lasts,  we  have  high,  exciting,  gratify- 
ing prospects  spread  out  before  us,  for  us  and  our  children. 
Beyond  that,  I  seek  not  to  penetrate  the  veil.  God  grant, 
that  in  my  day,  at  least,  that  curtain  may  not  rise  !  God 
grant  that  on  my  vision  never  rruy  be  opened  what  lies 
behind  !  When  my  eyes  shall  be  turned  to  behold  for  the 
last  time  the  sun  in  heaven,  may  I  not  see  him  shining  on 
the  broken  and  dishonored  fragments  of  a  once  glorious 
Union  ;  on  States  dissevered,  discordant,  belligerent :  on  a 
land  rent  with  civil  feuds,  or  drenched,  it  may  be,  in  frater- 
nal blood ! 

Let  their  last  feeble  and  lingering  glance  rather  behold 
the  gorgeous  ensign  of  the  republic, 'now  known  and  hon- 
ored throughout  the  earth,  still  full  high  advanced,  its  arms 
and  trophies  streaming  in  their  original  luster,  not  a  stripe 
erased  or  polluted,  nor  a  single  star  obscured,  bearing  for 
its  motto  no  such  miserable  interrogatory  as  "  What  is  all 
this  worth  ?  "  nor  those  other  words  of  delusion  and  folly, 
"  Liberty  first  and  Union  afterwards  ; "  but  everywhere, 
spread  all  over  in  characters  of  living  light,  blazing  on  all  its 
ample  folds,  as  they  float  over  the  sea  and  over  the  land,  and 
in  every  wind  under  the  whole  heavens,  that  other  sentiment 
dear  to  every  true  American  heart — Liberty  and  LTnion, 
now  and  forever,  one  and  inseparable  ! 


MARULLUS   TO  THE    ROMAN    POPULACE. 

SHAKESPEARE. 

WHEREFORE  rejoice,  that  Cassar  comes  in  triumph  ? 
What  conquest  brings  he  home  ? 
What  tributaries  follow  him  to  Rome, 
To  grace  in  captive  bonds  his  chariot-wheels  ? 
You  blocks,  you  stones,  you  worse  than  senseless  things ! 


326  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

O,  you  hard  hearts,  you  cruel  men  of  Rome  ! 
Knew  ye  not  Pompey  ?     Many  a  time  and  oft 
Have  you  climb'd  up  to  walls  and  battlements, 
To  towers  and  windows,  yea,  to  chimney-tops, 
Your  infants  in  your  arms,  and  there  have  sat 
The  live-long  day,  with  patient  expectation, 
To  see  great  Pompey  pass  the  streets  of  Rome  ; 
And  when  you  saw  his  chariot  but  appear, 
Have  you  not  made  a  universal  shout, 
That  Tiber  trembled  underneath  her  banks, 
To  hear  the  replication  of  your  sounds, 
Made  in  her  concave  shores  ? 
And  do  you  now  put  on  your  best  attire  ? 
And  do  you  now  cull  out  a  holiday  ? 
And  do  you  now  strew  flowers  in  his  way, 
That  comes  in  triumph  over  Pompey's  blood  ? 
Begone  ! 

Run  to  your  houses,  fall  upon  your  knees, 
Pray  to  the  gods  to  intermit  the  plague 
That  needs  must  light  on  this  ingratitude ! 


DON'T  RUN  IN  DEBT. 

ELIZA    COOK. 

DON'T  run  in  debt — never  mind,  never  mind, 

If  your  clothes  are  all  faded  and  torn; 
Fix  'em  up,  make  them  do,  it  is  better  by  far, 

Than  to  have  the  heart  weary  and  worn. 
Who'll  love  you  the  more  for  the  set  of  your  hat, 

Or  your  ruff,  or  the  tie  of  your  shoe, 
The  style  of  your  vest,  or  your  boots  or  cravat, 

If  they  know  you're  in  debt  for  the  new  ? 

There's  no  comfort,  I  tell  you,  in  walking  the  street 
In  fine  clothes,  if  you  know  you  are  in  debt, 

And  feel  that  perchance  you  some  tradesman  may  meet, 
Who  will  sneer — "  They're  not  paid  for  yet." 


SELECTIONS.  327 

Good  friends,  let  me  beg-  of  you  don't  run  in  debt, 

If  the  chairs  and  the  sofa  are  old  ; 
They  will  fit  your  backs  better  than  any  new  set, 

Unless  they're  paid  for — with  gold. 
If  the  house  is  too  small,  draw  the  closer  together, 

Keep  it  warm  with  a  hearty  good-will ; 
A  big  one  unpaid  for,  in  all  kinds  of  weather, 

Will  send  to  your  warm  heart  a  chill. 


Don't  run  in  debt — dear  girls,  take  a  hint, 

If  the  fashions  have  changed  since  last  season, 
Old  Nature  is  out  in  the  very  same  tint, 

And  old  Nature  we  think  has  some  reason. 
But  just  say  to  your  friend,  that  you  cannot  afford 

To  spend  time  to  keep  up  with  the  fashion  ; 
That  your  purse  is  too  light,  and  your  honor  too  bright 

To  be  tarnished  \vith  such  silly  passion. 


Gents-,  don't  run  in  debt — let  your  friends,  if  they  can, 

Have  fine  houses,  and  feathers,  and  flowers, 
But,  unless  they  are  paid  for,  be  more  of  a  man, 

Than  to  envy  their  sunshiny  hours. 
If  you've  money  to  spare,  I  have  nothing  to  say — 

Spend  your  dollars  and  dimes  as  you  please, 
But  mind  you,  the  man  who  his  note  has  to  pay, 

Is  the  man  who  is  never  at  ease. 


Kind  husbands,  don't  run  in  debt  any  more; 

'T  will  fill  your  wife's  cup  of  sorrow, 
To  know  that  a  neighbor  may  call  at  your  door, 

With  a  bill  you  must  settle  to-morrow  ; 
O  !  take  my  advice — it  is  good  !  it  is  true  ! 

(But,  lest  you  may  some  of  you  doubt  it,) 
I'll  whisper  a  secret,  now  seeing  'tis  you  ; 

1  have  tried  it  and  know  all  about  it 


328  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

The  chain  of  a  debtor  is  heavy  and  cold, 
Its  links,  all  corrosion  and  rust, 

Gild  it  o'er  as  you  will,  it  is  never  of  gold  ; 
Then  spurn  it  aside  with  disgust. 


DO  IT  YOURSELF. 

WHY  ask  the  teacher  or  some  classmate  to  solve  that 
problem  ?  Do  it  yourself.  You  might  as  well  let  them  eat 
your  dinner  as  "  do  your  sums  for  you."  It  is  in  studying 
as  in  eating — he  that  does  it  gets  the  benefit,  and  not  he 
that  sees  it  done. 

Do  not  ask  your  teacher  to  parse  all  the  difficult  words, 
or  assist  you  in  the  performance  of  any  of  your  duties.  Do 
it  yourself.  Never  mind,  though  they  look  dark  as  Egypt. 
Don't  ask  even  a  hint  from  anybody.  Every  trial  increases 
your  ability,  and  you  will  finally  succeed  by  dint  of  the  very 
wisdom  and  strength  gained  in  this  effort,  even 'though  at 
first  the  problem  was  beyond  your  skill.  It  is  the  study  and 
not  the  answer  that  really  rewards  your  pains. 

Look  at  that  boy  who  has  succeeded  after  six  hours  of 
hard  study,  perhaps.  How  his  eye  is  lit  up  with  a  proud 
joy,  as  he  marches  to  his  class  !  He  reads  like  a  conqueror, 
and  well  he  may.  His  poor,  weak  schoolmate,  who  gave 
up  after  the  first  trial,  now  looks  up  to  him  with  something 
of  wonder  as  a  superior. 

There  lies  a  great  gulf  between  those  boys  who  stood  yes- 
terday side  by  side.  They  will  never  stand  together  as 
equals  again.  The  boy  that  did  it  for  himself  has  taken  a 
stride  upward,  and,  what  is  better  still,  has  gained  strength 
for  greater  efforts.  The  boy  who  waited  to  see  others  do  it 
has  lost  both  strength  and  courage,  and  is  already  looking 
for  some  excuse  to  give  up  school  and  study  forever. 


SELECTIONS.  339 

POPULAR  ELECTIONS. 
GEORGE  M'DUFFIE. 

SIR,  if  there  is  any  spectacle  from  the  contemplation  of 
which  I  would  shrink  with  peculiar  horror,  it  would  be  that 
of  the  great  mass  of  the  American  people  sunk  into  a  pro- 
found apathy  on  the  subject  of  their  highest  political  inter- 
ests. Such  a  spectacle  would  be  more  portentous  to  the 
eye  of  intelligent  patriotism,  than  all  the  monsters  of  the 
earth,  and  fiery  signs  of  the  heavens,  to  the  eye  of  trembling 
superstition.  If  the  people  could  be  indifferent  to  the  fate  of 
a  contest  for  the  presidency,  they  would  be  unworthy  of 
freedom.  If  I  were  to  perceive  them  sinking  into  this 
apathy,  I  would  even  apply  the  power  of  political  galvanism, 
if  such  a  power  could  be  found,  to  rouse  them  from  their 
fatal  lethargy. 

Keep  the  people  quiet  !  .  Peace  !  peace  !  Such  are  the 
whispers  by  which  the  people  are  to  be  lulled  to  sleep,  in 
the  very  crisis  of  their  highest  concerns.  Sir,  "  you  make  a 
solitude  and  call  it  peace  !  "  Peace  ?  Tis  death  !  Take 
away  all  interest  from  the  people,  in  the  election  of  their 
chief  ruler,  and  liberty  is  no  more.  What,  sir,  is  to  be  the 
consequence  ?  If  the  people  do  not  elect  the  President, 
somebody  must.  There  is  no  special  providence  to  decide 
the  question.  Who,  then,  is  to  make  the  election,  and  how 
will  it  operate  ?  You  throw  a  general  paralysis  over  the 
body  politic,  and  excite  a  morbid  action  in  particular  mem- 
bers. The  general  patriotic  excitement  of  the  people,  in 
relation  to  the  election  of  the  President,  is  as  essential  to  the 
health  and  energy  of  the  political  system,  as  circulation  of 
the  blood  is  to  the  health  and  energy  of  the  natural  body. 
Check  that  circulation,  and  you  inevitably  produce  local 
inflammation,  gangrene,  and  ultimately  death. 

Make  the  people  indifferent,  destroy  their  legitimate  influ- 
ence, and  you  communicate  a  morbid  violence  to  the  efforts 
of  those  who  are  ever  ready  to  assume  the  control  of  such 
affairs — the  mercenary  intriguers  and  interested  office-hunt- 


330  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

ers  of  the  country.  Tell  me  not,  sir,  of  popular  violence! 
Show  me  a  hundred  political  factionists — men  who  look  to 
the  election  of  a  President  as  the  means  of  gratifying  their 
high  or  their  low  ambition — and  I  will  show  you  the  very 
materials  for  a  mob  ;  ready  for  any  desperate  adventure 
connected  with  their  common  fortunes.  The  reason  of  this 
extraordinary  excitement  is  obvious.  It  is  a  matter  of  self- 
interest,  of  personal  ambition.  The  people  can  have  no 
such  motives.  They  look  only  to  the  interest  and  glory  of 
the  country. 


PARALLEL   BETWEEN    POPE   AND   DRYDEN. 

DR.    SAMUEL   JOHNSON. 

IN  acquired  knowledge,  the  superiority  must  be  allowed 
to  Dryden,  whose  education  was  more  scholastic,  and  who, 
before  he  became  an  author,  had  been  allowed  more  time 
for  study,  with  better  means  of  information.  His  mind  has 
a  larger  range,  and  he  collects  his  images  and  illustrations 
from  a  more  extensive  circumference  of  science.  Dryden 
knew  more  of  man  in  his  general  nature,  and  Pope  in  his 
local  manners.  The  notions  of  Dryden  were  formed  by 
comprehensive  speculation  ;  those  of  Pope  by  minute  atten- 
tion. There  is  more  dignity  in  the  knowledge  of  Dryden, 
and  more  certainty  in  that  of  Pope. 

Poetry  was  not  the  sole  praise  of  either  ;  for  both  excelled 
likewise  in  prose  ;  but  Pope  did  not  borrow  his  prose  from 
his  predecessor.  The  style  of  Dryden  is  capricious  and 
varied  ;  that  of  Pope  is  cautious  and  uniform.  Dryden  obeys 
the  motions  of  his  own  mind  ;  Pope  constrains  his  miud  to 
his  own  rules  of  composition.  Dryden  is  sometimes  vehe- 
ment and  rapid ;  Pope  is  always  smooth,  uniform,  and 
gentle.  Dryden's  page  is  a  natural  field  rising  into  inequal- 
ities, and  diversified  by  the  varied  exuberance  of  abundant 
vegetation  ;  Pope's  is  a  velvet  lawn,  shaven  by  the  scythe, 
and  leveled  by  the  roller. 


SELECTIONS.  33! 

Of  genius — that  power  which  constitutes  a  poet,  that  qual- 
ity without  which  judgment  is  cold  and  knowledge  is  inert, 
that  energy  which  collects,  combines,  amplifies,  and  ani- 
mates— the  superiority  must,  with  some  hesitation,  be 
allowed  to  Dryden.  It  is  not  to  be  inferred,  that  of  this 
poetical  vigor  Pope  had  only  a  little,  because  Dryden  had 
more  :  for  every  other  writer  since  Milton  must  give  place 
to  Pope  ;  and  even  of  Dryden  it  must  be  said  that  if  he  has 
brighter  paragraphs,  he  has  not  better  poems. 

Dryden's  performances  were  always  hasty — either  excited 
by  some  external  occasion,  or  extorted  by  domestic  necessity; 
he  composed  without  consideration,  and  published  without 
correction.  What  his  mind  could  supply  at  call,  or  gather 
at  one  excursion,  was  all  that  he  sought,  and  all  that  he  gave. 
The  dilatory  caution  of  Pope  enabled  him  to  condense  his 
sentiments,  to  multiply  his  images,  and  to  accumulate  all 
that  study  might  produce  or  chance  might  supply.  If  the 
flights  of  Dryden,  therefore,  are  higher,  Pope  continues 
longer  on  the  wing.  If  of  Dryden's  fire  the  blaze  is  brighter, 
of  Pope's  the  heat  is  more  regular  and  constant.  Dryden 
often  surpasses  expectation,  and  Pope  never  falls  below  it. 
Dryden  is  read  with  frequent  astonishment,  and  Pope  with 
perpetual  delight. 


THE   WIND   AND   THE   MOON. 

GEORGE   MACDONALD. 

SAID  the  Wind  to  the  Moon,  "  I  will  blow  you  out; 

You  stare 

In  the  air 

Like  a  ghost  in  a  chair, 
Always  looking  what  I  am  about — 
I  hate  to  be  watched  ;  I'll  blow  you  out."     [Blow.] 


332  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

The  Wind  blew  hard,  and  out  went  the  Moon, 

So  deep 

On  a  heap 

Of  cloudless  sleep, 

Down  lay  the  Wind,  and  slumbered  soon, 
Muttering  low,  "I've  done  for  that  Moon." 

He  turned  in  his  bed  :  she  was  there  again  ! 

On  high, 

In  the  sky, 

With  her  one  ghost  eye, 
The  Moon  shone  white  and  alive  and  plain  ; 
Said  the  Wind,  "  I'll  blow  you  out  again."     [Blow.} 

„     \  The  Wind  blew  hard,  and  the  Moon  grew  dim  : 
"  With  my  sledge, 
And  my  wedge, 
I  have  knocked  off  her  edge  ! 
If  only  I  blow  right  fierce  and  grim, 
The  creature  will  soon  be  dimmer  than  dim." 

[Blow.] 

He  blew  and  blew,  and  she  thinned  to  a  thread  : 

"  One  puff 

More's  enough 

To  blow  her  to  snuff ! 

One  good  puff  more  where  the  last  was  bred, 
And  glimmer,  glum  will  go  the  thread." 

[Blow.] 

He  blew  a  great  blast,  and  the  thread  was  gone 

In  the  air  ; 

Nowhere 

Was  a  moonbeam  bare  ; 
Far  off  and  harmless  the  sky  stars  shone — 
Sure  and  certain  the  moon  was  gone  ! 


SELECTIONS. 


333 


The  Wind  he  took  to  his  revels  once  more  ; 

On  down 

In  town, 

Like  a  merry-mad  clown, 
He  leaped  and  halloed  with  whistle  and  roar  : 
"What's  that  ?  "     The  glimmering  thread  once  more. 


He  flew  in  a  rage  —  he  danced  and  blew  ; 

But  in  vain 

Was  the  pain 

Of  his  bursting  brain  ; 
For  still  broader  the  moon-scrap  grew, 
The  broader  he  swelled  his  big  cheeks  and  blew 

Slowly  she  grew  —  till  she  filled  the  night, 

And  shone 

On  her  throne 

In  the  sky  alone, 

A  matchless,  wonderful,  silvery  light, 
Radiant  and  lovely,  the  queen  of  night  ! 

Said  the  Wind,  "  What  a  marvel  of  power  am  I  ! 

With  my  breath, 

Good  faith, 

I  blew  her  to  death  — 
First  blew  her  away  right  out  of  the  sky  — 
Then  blew  her  in  ;  what  strength  have  I  !  " 

But  the  Moon  she  knew  nothing  about  the  affair  ; 

For  high 

In  the  sky, 

With  her  one  white  eye, 
Motionless,  miles  above  the  air, 
She  had  never  heard  the  great  Wind  blare. 


334  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

LASCA. 

F.    DESPREZ. 

I  WANT  free  life  and  I  want  fresh  air ; 

And  I  sigh  for  the  canter  after  the  cattle, 

The  crack  of  the  whips  like  shots  in  battle, 

The  mellay  of  horns,  and  hoofs,  and  heads 

That  wars,  and  wrangles,  and  scatters,  and  spreads  ; 

The  green  beneath  and  the  blue  above, 

And  dash  and  danger,  and  life  and  love; 

And  Lasca  ! 

Lasca  used  to  ride 

On  a  mouse-gray  mustang,  close  to  my  side, 
With  blue  serape  and  bright-belled  spur ; 
I  laughed  with  joy  as  I  looked  at  her  ! 
Little  knew  she  of  books  or  creeds  ; 
An  Ave  Maria  sufficed  her  needs  ; 
Little  she  cared,  save  to  be  by  my  side, 
To  ride  with  me,  and  ever  to  ride, 
From  San  Saba's  shore  to  Lavaca's  tide. 
She  was  as  bold  as  the  billows  that  beat, 
She  was  as  wild  as  the  breezes  that  blow  ; 
From  her  little  head  to  her  little  feet 
She  was  swayed,  in  her  suppleness,  to  and  fro 
By  each  gust  of  passion  ;  a  sapling  pine, 
That  grows  on  the  edge  of  a  Kansas  bluff, 
And  wars  with  the  wind  when  the  weather  is  rough, 
Is  like  this  Lasca,  this  love  of  mine. 
She  would  hunger  that  I  might  eat, 
Would  take  the  bitter  and  leave  me  the  sweet  ; 
But  once,  when  I  made  her  jealous  for  fun, 
At  something  I'd  whispered,  or  looked,  or  done, 
One  Sunday,  in  San  Antonio, 
To  a  glorious  girl  on  the  Alamo, 
She  drew  from  her  girdle  a  dear  little  dagger, 
And — sting  of  a  wasp  ! — it  made  me  stagger  ! 


SELECTIONS.  335 

An  inch  to  the  left  or  an  inch  to  the  right, 
And  I  shouldn't  be  maundering  here  to-night  ; 
But  she  sobbed,  and,  sobbing,  so  swiftly  bound 
Her  torn  reboso  about  the  wound 
That  I  quite  forgave  her.     Scratches  don't  count 
In  Texas,  down  by  the  Rio  Grande. 

Her  eye  was  brown, — a  deep,  deep  brown  ; 
Her  hair  was  darker  than  her  eye  ; 
And  something  in  her  smile  and  frown, 
Curled  crimson  lip,  and  instep  high, 
Showed  that  there  ran  in  each  blue  vein, 
Mixed  with  the  milder  Aztec  strain, 
The  vigorous  vintage  of  old  Spain. 

The  air  was  heavy,  the  night  was  hot, 
I  sat  by  her  side,  and  forgot — forgot  ; 
Forgot  the  herd  that  were  taking  their  rest  ; 
Forgot  that  the  air  was  close  opprest ; 
That  the  Texas  norther  comes  sudden  and  soon, 
In  the  dead  of  night  or  the  blaze  of  noon  ; 
•  That  once  let  the  herd  at  its  breath  take  fright, 
That  nothing  on  earth  can  stop  the  flight ; 
And  woe  to  the  rider,  and  woe  to  the  steed, 
Who  falls  in  front  of  their  mad  stampede  ! 
Was  that  thunder  ?     No,  by  the  Lord  ! 
I  spring  to  my  saddle  without  a  word, 
One  foot  on  mine,  and  she  clung  behind. 
Away !  on  a  hot  chase  down  the  wind  ! 
But  never  was  fox-hunt  half  so  hard, 
And  never  was  steed  so  little  spared, 
For  we  rode  for  our  lives.  You  shall  hear  how  we  fared 
In  Texas,  down  by  the  Rio  Grande. 

The  mustang  flew,  and  we  urged  him  on  ; 
There  was  one  chance  left,  and  you  have  but  one; 
Halt,  jump  to  the  ground,  and  shoot  your  horse  ; 
Crouch  under  his  carcass,  and  take  your  chance  ; 
And  if  the  steers,  in  their  frantic  course, 


336  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

Don't  batter  you  both  to  pieces  at  once, 
You  may  thank  your  star  ;  if  not,  good-bye 
To  the  quickening  kiss  and  the  long-drawn  sigh, 
And  the  open  air  and  the  open  sky, 

In  Texas,  down  by  the  Rio  Grande. 

The  cattle  gained  on  us,  just  as  I  felt 
For  my  old  six-shooter,  behind  in  my  belt ; 
Down  came  the  mustang,  and  down  came  we, 
Clinging  together,  and — what  was  the  rest  ? 
A  body  that  spread  itself  on  my  breast, 
Two  arms  that  shielded  my  dizzy  head, 
Two  lips  that  hard  on  my  lips  were  pressed  ; 
Then  came  thunder  in  my  ears, 
As  over  us  surged  the  sea  of  steers, 
Blows  that  beat  blood  into  my  eyes, 
And  when  I  could  rise, 
Lasca  was  dead  ! 

I  gouged  out  a  grave  a  few  feet  deep, 

And  there  in  Earth's  arms  I  laid  her  to  sleep  ; 

And  there  she  is  lying,  and  no  one  knows, 

And  the  summer  shines  and  the  winter  snows  ; 

For  many  a  day  the  flowers  have  spread 

A  pall  of  petals  over  her  head  ; 

And  the  little  gray  hawk  hangs  aloft  in  the  air, 

And  the  sly  coyote  trots  here  and  there, 

And  the  black  snake  glides,  and  glitters,  and  slides 

Into  the  rift  in  a  cotton- wood  tree; 

And  the  buzzard  sails  on, 

And  comes  and  is  gone, 

Stately  and  still  like  a  ship  at  sea  ; 

And  I  wonder  why  I  do  not  care 

For  the  things  that  are  like  the  things  that  were. 

Does  half  my  heart  lie  buried  there 

In  Texas,  down  by  the  Rio  Grande  ? 


SELECTIONS.  337 

IGNORANCE  IN  OUR  COUNTRY  A  CRIME. 

HORACE   MANN. 

IN  all  the  dungeons  of  the  Old  World,  where  the  strong 
champions  of  freedom  are  now  pining  in  captivity  beneath 
the  remorseless  power  of  the  tyrant,  the  morning  sun  does  not 
send  a  glimmering  ray  into  their  cells,  nor  does  night  draw 
a  thicker  veil  of  darkness  between  them  and  the  world,  but 
the  lone  prisoner  lifts  his  iron-laden  arms  to  heaven  in  prayer 
that  we,  the  depositaries  of  freedom  and  of  human  hopes, 
may  be  faithful  to  our  sacred  trust.  While,  on  the  other 
hand,  the  pensioned  advocates  of  despotism  stand,  with  list- 
ening ear,  to  catch  the  first  sound  of  lawless  violence  that  is 
wafted  from  our  shores,  to  note  the  first  breach  of  faith  or 
act  of  perfidy  amongst  us,  and  to  convert  them  into  argu- 
ments against  liberty  and  the  rights  of  man. 

There  is  not  a  shout  sent  up  by  an  insane  mob,  on  this 
side  the  Atlantic,  but  it  is  echoed  by  a  thousand  presses  and 
by  ten  thousand  tongues  along  every  mountain  and  valley, 
on  the  other.  There  is  not  a  conflagration  kindled  heie  by 
the  ruthless  hand  of  violence,  but  its  flame  glares  over  all 
Europe,  from  horizon  to  zenith.  On  each  occurrence  of  a 
flagitious  scene,  whether  it  be  an  act  of  turbulence  and 
devastation,  or  a  deed  of  perfidy  or  breach  of  faith,  monarchs 
point  them  out  as  fruits  of  the  growth  and  omens  of  the  fate 
of  republics,  and  claim  for  themselves  ^and  their  heirs  a  fur- 
ther extension  of  the  lease  of  despotism. 

The  experience  of  the  ages  that  are  past,  the  hopes  of  the 
ages  that  are  yet  to  come,  unite  their  voices  in  an  appeal  to 
us.  They  implore  us  to  think  more  of  the  character  of  our 
people  than  of  its  numbers  ;  to  look  upon  our  vast  natural 
resources,  not  as  tempters  to  ostentation  and  pride,  but  as  a 
means  to  be  converted,  by  the  refining  alchemy  of  education, 
into  mental  and  spiritual  treasures.  They  supplicate  us  to 
seek  for  whatever  complacency  or  self-satisfaction  we  are 
disposed  to  indulge,  not  in  the  extent  of  onr  territory,  or  in 
the  products  of  our  soil,  but  in  the  expansion  and  perpetua- 


338  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

tion  of  the  means  of  human  happiness.  They  beseech  us  to 
exchange  the  luxuries  of  sense  for  the  joys  of  chanty,  and 
thus  give  to  the  world  the  example  of  a  nation  whose  wisdom 
increases  with  its  prosperity,  and  whose  virtues  are  equal  to 
its  power. 

For  these  ends  they  enjoin  upon  us  a  more  earnest,  a  more 
universal,  a  more  religious  devotion  of  our  exertions  and 
resources  to  the  culture  of  the  youthful  mind  and  heart  of  the 
nation.  Their  gathered  voices  assert  the  eternal  truth  that, 
in  a  republic,  ignorance  is  a  crime  ;  and  that  private  im- 
morality is  not  less  an  opprobrium  to  the  State  than  it  is 
guilt  in  the  perpetrator. 


THREE  DAYS  IN  THE  LIFE  OF  COLUMBUS. 

DELAVIGNE. 

ON  the  deck  stood  Columbus ;  the  ocean's  expanse, 

Untried  and  unlimited,  swept  by  his  glance. 

"  Back  to  Spain  !  "  cry  his  men  ;  "  Put  the  vessel  about ! 

We  venture  no  further  through  danger  and  doubt." 

"  Three  days,  and  I  give  you  a  world  !  "  he  replied ; 

"  Bear  up,  my  brave  comrades  ; — three  days  shall  decide." 

He  sails, — but  no  token  of  land  is  in  sight  ; 

He  sails, — but  the  day  shows  no  more  than  the  night ; — 

On,  onward  he  sails,  while  in  vain  o'er  the  lee 

The  lead  is  plunged  down  through  a  fathomless  sea. 

The  second  day's  past,  and  Columbus  is  sleeping, 

While  Mutiny  near  him  its  vigil  is  keeping: 

"  Shall  he  perish  ?  " — "  Ay  !  death  !  "  is  the  barbarous  cry. 

"  He  must  triumph  to-morrow,  or,  perjured,  must  die." 

Ungrateful  and  blind  ! — shall  the  world-linking  sea, 

He  traced  for  the  Future,  his  sepulchre  be  ? 

Shall  that  sea,  on  the  morrow,  with  pitiless  waves, 

Fling  his  corse  on  that  shore  which  his  patient  eye  craves  ? 

The  corse  of  a  humble  adventurer,  then  ; 

One  day  later,— Columbus,  the  first  among  men  ! 


SELECTIONS. 


339 


But  hush  !  he  is  dreaming ! — A  veil  on  the  main, 

At  the  distant  horizon,  is  parted  in  twain, 

And  now,  on  his  dreaming  eye, — rapturous  sight ! — 

Fresh  bursts  the  New  World  from  the  darkness  of  night ! 

O  vision  of  glory  !  how  dazzling  it  seems  ! 

How  glistens  the  verdure  !  how  sparkle  the  streams  ! 

How  blue  the  far  mountains  !  how  glad  the  green  isles  ! 

And  the  earth  and  the  ocean,  how  dimpled  with  smiles  ! 

"  Joy  !  joy  !  "  cries  Columbus,  "  this  region  is  mine  !  " 

Ah  !  not  e'en  its  name,  wondrous  dreamer,  is  thine  ! 

But,  lo  !  his  dream  changes ; — a  vision  less  bright 

Comes  to  darken  and  banish  that  scene  of  delight. 

The  gold-seeking  Spaniards,  a  merciless  band, 

Assail  the  meek  natives  and  ravage  the  land. 

He  sees  the  fair  palace,  the  temple  on  fire, 

And  the  peaceful  Cazique  'mid  their  ashes  expire  ; 

He  sees,  too, — Oh,  saddest !  Oh,  mournfulest  sight !— • 

The  crucifix  gleam  in  the  thick  of  the  fight. 

More  terrible  far  than  the  merciless  steel 

Is  the  up-lifted  cross  in  the  red  hand  of  zeal ! 

Again  the  dream  changes, — Columbus  looks  forth, 
And  a  bright  constellation  beholds  in  the  North. 
'Tis  the  herald  of  empire  !    A  People  appear, 
Impatient  of  wrong,  and  unconscious  of  fear  ! 
They  level  the  forest, — they  ransack  the  seas, — 
Each  zone  finds  their  canvas  unfurled  to  the  breeze. 
"  Hold  !  "    Tyranny  cries  ;  but  their  resolute  breath 
Sends  back  the  reply,  "  Independence  or  death  !  " 
The  plowshare  they  turn  to  a  weapon  of  might, 
And,  defying  all  odds,  they  go  forth  to  the  'fight. 

They  have  conquered  !   The  People,  with  grateful  acclaim, 
Look  to  Washington's  guidance,  from  Washington's  fame;- 
Behold  Cincinnatus  and  Cato  combined 
In  his  patriot  heart  and  republican  mind. 


340  VOICE    CULTURE    AND   ELOCUTION. 

Oh,  type  of  true  manhood  !    What  scepter  or  crown 
But  fades  in  the  light  of  thy  simple  renown  ? 
And  lo!  by  the  side  of  the  Hero,  a  Sage, 
In  Freedom's  behalf,  sets  his  mark  on  the  age  ; 
Whom  Science  adoringly  hails,  while  he  wrings 
The  lightning  from  heaven,  the  sceptre  from  kings ! 

At  length  o'er  Columbus  slow  consciousness  breaks  ; 

"  Land  !    land  1 "    cry  the  sailors  ;     "  land  I    land  !  " — he 

awakes, — 

He  runs, — yes  !  behold  it  1 — it  blesseth  his  sight, — 
The  land  !    Oh,  dear  spectacle  !  transport  !  delight ! 
Oh,  generous  sobs,  which  he  cannot  restrain  ! 
What  will  Ferdinand  say  ?  and  the  Future  ?  and  Spain  ? 
He  will  lay  this  fair  land  at  the  foot  of  the  throne, — 
His  king  will  repay  all  the  ills  he  has  known, — 
In  exchange  for  a  world,  what  are  honors  and  gains  ? 
Or  a  crown  ?    But  how  is  he  rewarded  ? — with  chains ! 


OUR   FOLKS. 

ETHEL    LYNN, 

"  Hi  !  Harry  Holly  !  Halt  ;  and  tell 

A  fellow  just  a  thing  or  two  : 
You've  had  a  furlough,  been  to  see 

How  all  the  folks  in  Jersey  do. 
It's  months  ago  since  I  was  there, — 

I,  and  a  bullet  from  Fair  Oaks  : 
When  you  were  home, — old  comrade  say, 

Did  you  see  any  of  our  folks  ? 
You  did  ?     Shake  hands;  O,  ain't  I  glad  ? 

For,  if  I  do  look  grim  and  rough, 
I've  got  some  feelin' — 

People  think 

A  soldier's  heart  is  mighty  tough  ; 


SELECTIONS.  341 

But,  Harry,  when  the  bullets  fly, 

And  hot  saltpetre  flames  and  smokes, 

While  whole  battalions  lie  a-fiekl, 
One's  apt  to  think  about  his  folks. 

And  so  you  saw  them, — when  ?  and  where  ? 

The  old  man, — is  he  hearty  yet  ? 
And  mother, — does  she  fade  at  all  ? 

Or  does  she  seem  to  pine  and  fret 
For  me  ?     And  Sis  ? — has  she  grown  tall  ? 

And  did  you  see  her  friend, — you  know 
That  Annie  Moss — 

(How  this  pipe  chokes  !) 
Where  did  you  see  her  ? — tell  me,  Hal, 

A  lot  of  news  about  our  folks. 

You  saw  them  in  the  church, — you  say  ; 

It's  likely,  for  they're  always  there. 
Not  Sunday  ?     No  ?     A  funeral  ?     Who  ? 

Who,  Harry  ?  how  you  shake  and  stare  ! 
All  well,  you  say,  and  all  were  out ; 

What  ails  you,  Hal  ?     Is  this  a  hoax  ? 
Why  don't  you  tell  me,  like  a  man, 

What  is  the  matter  with  our  folks  ?  " 

"  I  said  all  well,  old  comrade,  true  ; 

I  say  all  well,  for  He  knows  best 
Who  takes  the  young  ones  in  His  arms, 

Before  the  sun  goes  to  the  west. 
The  axe-man  Death  deals  right  and  left, 

And  flowers  fall  as  well  as  oaks  ; 
And  so — 

Fair  Annie  blooms  no  more  ! 

And  that's  the  matter  with  your  folks. 
See,  this  brown  curl  was  kept  for  you  ; 

And  this  white  blossom  from  her  breast ; 
And  here, — your  sister  Bessie  wrote 

A  letter  telling  all  the  rest. 


342  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

Bear  up,  old  friend." 

Nobody  speaks  ; 

Only  the  old  camp  raven  croaks, 
And  soldiers  whisper  : 

"  Boys,  be  still  ; 
There's  some  bad  news  from  Grainger's  folks.1 

He  turns  his  back — the  only  foe 

That  ever  saw  it — on  this  grief, 
And,  as  men  will,  keeps  down  the  tears 

Kind  Nature  sends  to  Woe's  relief. 
Then  answers  he  : 

"  Ah,  Hal,  I'll  try  ; 

But  in  my  throat  there's  something  chokes, 
Because,  you  see,  I've  thought  so  long 

To  count  her  in  among  our  folks. 

"  I  s'pose  she  must  be  happy  now  ; 

But  still  I  will  keep  thinking  too, 
I  could  have  kept  all  trouble  off, 

By  being  tender,  kind,  and  true ; 
But  maybe  not. 

She's  safe  up  there  ; 

And  when  His  hand  deals  other  strokes, 
She'll  stand  by  Heaven's  gate,  I  know, 

And  wait  to  welcome  in  our  folks." 


CATILINE'S    DEFIANCE. 

CROLY. 

CONSCRIPT  FATHERS: 
I  do  not  rise  to  waste  the  night  in  words  ; 
Let  that  Plebeian  talk  ;  'tis  not  my  trade  ; 
But  here  I  stand  for  right, — let  him  show  proofs, — 
For  Roman  right,  though  none,  it  seems,  dare  stand 


SELECTIONS.  343 

To  take  their  share  with  me.     Ay,  cluster  there  ! 
Cling  to  your  master,  judges,  Romans,  slaves  ! 
His  charge  is  false  ; — I  dare  him  to  his  proofs. 
You  have  my  answer.     Let  my  actions  speak  ! 

But  this  I  will  avow,  that  I  have  scorn'd, 
And  still  do  scorn,  to  hide  my  sense  of  wrong  ! 
Who  brands  me  on  the  forehead,  breaks  my  sword, 
Or  lays  the  bloody  scourge  upon  my  back, 
Wrongs  me  not  half  so  much  as  he  who  shuts 
The  gates  of  honor  on  me, — turning  out 
The  Roman  from  his  birthright ;  and,  for  what  ? 
To  fling  your  offices  to  every  slave  ! 
Vipers!  that  creep  where  man  disdains  to  climb, 
And,  having  wound  their  loathsome  track  to  the  top 
Of  this  huge,  mouldering  monument  of  Rome, 
Hang  hissing  at  the  nobler  man  below. 
Come,  consecrated  Lictors,  from  your  thrones  ; 
Fling  down  your  scepters  ;  take  the  rod  and  axe, 
And  make  the  murder  as  you  make  the  law  ! 

Banish'd  from  Rome!     What's banish'd,  but  set  free 
From  daily  contact  of  the  things  I  loathe  ? 
"  Tried  and  convicted  traitor  !  "     Who  says  this  ? 
Who'll  prove  it,  at  his  peril,  on  my  head  ? 

Banish'd  !  I  thank  you  for  't !     It  breaks  my  chain  ! 
I  held  some  slack  allegiance  till  this  hour  ; 
But  now  my  sword's  my  own.     Smile  on,  my  Lords ! 
I  scorn  to  count  what  feelings,  withered  hopes, 
Strong  provocations,  bitter,  burning  wrongs, 
I  have  within  my  heart's  hot  cells  shut  up, 
To  leave  you  in  your  lazy  dignities! 
But  here  I  stand  and  scoff  you  !  here  I  fling 
Hatred  and  full  defiance  in  your  face  ! 
Your  Consul's  merciful; — for  this,  all  thanks. 
He  dares  not  touch  a  hair  of  Catiline  ! 


344  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

"  Traitor  !  "  I  go  ;  but,  I  return.     This — trial ! 
Here  I  devote  your  Senate  !     I've  had  wrongs 
To  stir  a  fever  in  the  blood  of  age, 
Or  make  the  infant's  sinews  strong  as  steel. 
This  day's  the  birth  of  sorrow7  !     This  hour's  work 
Will  breed  proscriptions!  Look  to  your  hearths,  my  Lords! 
For  there,  henceforth,  shall  sit,  for  household  gods, 
Shapes  hot  from  Tartarus  ! — all  shames  and  crimes  ! 
Wan  Treachery,  with  his  thirsty  dagger  drawn  ; 
Suspicion,  poisoning  his  brother's  cup  ; 
Naked  Rebellion,  with  the  torch  and  axe, 
Making  his  wild  sport  of  your  blazing  thrones  ; 
Till  Anarchy  comes  down  on  you  like  night, 
And  Massacre  seals  Rome's  eternal  grave. 

I  go  ;  but  not  to  leap  the  gulf  alone. 
I  go  ;  but,  when  I  come,  't  will  be  the  burst 
Of  ocean  in  the  earthquake, — rolling  back 
In  swift  and  mountainous  ruin.     Fare  you  well  ! 
You  build  my  funeral-pile  ;  but  your  best  blood 
Shall  quench  its  flame  !     Back,  slaves  !  I  will  return. 


LET    US   TRY   TO  BE    HAPPY. 

LET  us  try  to  be  happy  !     We  may,  if  we  will, 
Find  some  pleasures  in  life  to  o'erbalance  the  ill  ; 
There  was  never  an  evil,  if  well  understood, 
But  what,  rightly  managed,  would  turn  to  a  good. 
If  we  were  but  as  ready  to  look  to  the  light 
As  we  are  to  sit  moping  because  it  is  night, 
We  should  own  it  a  truth,  both  in  word  and  in  deed, 
That  who  tries  to  be  happy  is  sure  to  succeed. 

Let  us  try  to  be  happy  !     Some  shades  of  regret 
Are  sure  to  hang  round,  which  we  cannot  forget ; 
There  are  times  when  the  lightest  of  spirits  must  bow, 
And  the  sunniest  face  wear  a  cloud  on  its  brow. 


SELECTIONS.  345 

We  must  never  bid  feelings,  the  purest  and  best, 
Lie  blunted  and  cold  in  our  bosom  at  rest ; 
But  the  deeper  our  own  griefs  the  greater  our  need 
To  try  to  be  happy,  lest  other  hearts  bleed. 

O,  try  to  be  happy  !     It  is  not  for  long 
We  shall  cheer  on  each  other  by  counsel  or  song ; 
If  we  make  the  best  use  of  our  time  that  we  may, 
There  is  much  we  can  do  to  enliven  the  way : 
Let  us  only  in  earnestness  each  do  our  best, 
Before  God  and  our  conscience,  and  trust  for  the  rest  ; 
Still  taking  this  truth,  both  in  word  and  in  deed, 
That  who  tries  to  be  happy  is  sure  to  succeed. 


MARCO    BOZZARIS. 

HALLECK. 

[Marco  Bozzaris  expired  in  the  very  moment  of  victory,  his  last  words 
being" :  **  To  die  for  liberty  is  a  pleasure,  and  not  a  pain."] 

AT  midnight,  in  his  guarded  tent, 

The  Turk  was  dreaming  of  the  hour, 
When  Greece,  her  knee  in  suppliance  bent, 

Should  tremble  at  his  power  : 
In  dreams,  through  camp  and  court,  he  bore 
The  trophies  of  a  conqueror  ; 

In  dreams  his  song  of  triumph  heard  ; 
Then  wore  his  monarch's  signet  ring  : 
Then  pressed  that  monarch's  throne,  a  king  ; 
As  wild  his  thoughts,  and  gay  of  wing, 

As  Eden's  garden-bird. 

At  midnight,  in  the  forest  shades, 

Bozzaris  ranged  his  Suliote  band, 
True  as  the  steel  of  their  tried  blades, 

Heroes  in  heart  and  hand. 


346  VOICE   CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION, 

There,  had  the  Persian's  thousands  stood, 
There  had  the  glad  earth  drunk  their  blood, 

On  old  Platea's  day  ; 

And  now  there  breathed  that  haunted  air 
The  sons  of  sires  who  conquered  there, 
With  arms  to  strike,  and  souls  to  dare, 

As  quick,  as  far  as  they. 

An  hour  passed  on — the  Turk  awoke  : 

That  bright  dream  was  his  last ; 
He  woke  to  hear  his  sentries  shriek, 
"  To  arms  !  they  come  !  the  Greek  !  the  Greek ! " 
He  woke — to  die  'midst  flame  and  smoke, 
And  shout,  and  groan,  and  saber  stroke, 

And  death-shots  falling  thick  and  fast 
As  lightnings  from  the  mountain  cloud  ; 
And  heard,  with  voice,  as  trumpet  loud, 

Bozzaris  cheer  his  band  : 
"  Strike  !  till  the  last  armed  foe  expires  ; 
Strike  !  for  your  altars  and  your  fires  ; 
Strike  !  for  the  green  graves  of  your  sires  ; 

God,  and  your  native  land  !  " 

They  fought,  like  brave  men,  long  and  well, 

They  piled  that  ground  with  Moslem  slain, 
They  conquered — but  Bozzaris  fell, 

Bleeding  at  every  vein. 
His  few  surviving  comrades  saw 
His  smile,  when  rang  the  proud  hurrah  ! 

And  the  red  field  was  won  ; 
Then  saw,  in  death,  his  eyelids  close, 
Calmly,  as  to  a  night's  repose, 

Like  flowers  at  set  of  sun. 

Come  to  the  bridal  chamber,  Death  ! 

Come  to  the  mother,  when  she  feels, 
For  the  first  time,  her  first-born's  breath  ; 

Come  when  the  blessed  seals 


SELECTIONS. 

That  close  the  pestilence,  are  broke, 
And  crowded  cities  wail  its  stroke ; 
Come  in  consumption's  ghastly  form, 
The  earthquake's  shock,  the  ocean  storm  ; 
Come  when  the  heart  beats  high,  and  warm, 

With  banquet-song,  and  dance,  and  wine, 
And  thou  art  terrible  ! — the  tear, 
The  groan,  the  knell,  the  pall,  the  bier  ; 
And  all  we  know,  or  dream,  or  fear, 

Of  agony,  are  thine. 

But,  to  the  hero,  when  his  sword 

Has  won  the  battle  for  the  free, 
Thy  voice  sounds  like  a  prophet's  word, 
And  in  its  hollow  tones  are  heard 

The  thanks  of  millions  yet  to  be. 
Bozzaris  !  with  the  storied  brave, 

Greece  nurtured,  in  her  glory's  time, 
Rest  thee — there  is  no  prouder  grave, 

Even  in  her  own  proud  clime. 
We  tell  thy  doom  without  a  sigh  ; 
For  thou  art  Freedom's  now,  and  Fame's— 
One  of  the  few,  the  immortal  names, 

That  were  not  born  to  die. 


347 


THE    EXPUNGING   RESOLUTION. 

CLAY. 

THE  Senate  having",  in  1834,  passed  resolutions  to  the  effect  that  President 
Jackson  had  assumed  and  exercised  powers  not  granted  by  the  Constitution, 
notice  was  given  of  a  motion  to  expunge  the  same,  which  motion  was  taken 
up  and  carried  in  1837,  when  the  majority  of  the  Senate  was  of  a  different 
party  complexion. 

WHAT  patriotic  purpose  is  to  be  accomplished  by  this 
expunging  resolution  ?  Can  you  make  that  not  to  be  which 
has  been  ?  Can  you  eradicate  from  memory  and  from  his- 


348  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

tory  the  fact  that,  in  March,  1834,  a  majority  of  the  Senate 
of  the  United  States  passed  the  resolution  which  excites 
your  enmity  ?  Is  it  your  vain  and  wicked  object  to  arrogate 
to  yourselves  that  power  of  annihilating  the  past  which  has 
been  denied  to  Omnipotence  itself?  Do  you  intend  to  thrust 
your  hands  into  our  hearts,  and  to  pluck  out  the  deeply- 
rooted  convictions  which  are  there  ?  Or,  is  it  your  design 
merely  to  stigmatize  us  ?  You  cannot  stigmatize  us ! 

"  Ne'er  yet  did  base  dishonor  blur  our  name." 

Standing  securely  upon  our  conscious  rectitude,  and  bearing 
aloft  the  shield  of  the  Constitution  of  our  country,  your  puny 
efforts  are  impotent,  and  we  defy  oil  your  power  ! 

But  why  should  I  detain  the  Senate,  or  needlessly  waste 
my  breath  in  fruitless  exertions  ?  The  decree  has  gone  forth. 
It  is  one  of  urgency,  too.  The  deed  is  to  be  done, — that 
foul  deed,  which,  like  the  stain  on  the  hands  of  the  guilty- 
Macbeth,  all  ocean's  waters  will  never  wash  out.  Proceed, 
then,  to  the  noble  work  which  lies  before  you  ;  and,  like 
other  skillful  executioners,  do  it  quickly.  And,  when  you 
have  perpetrated  it,  go  home  to  the  people,  and  tell  them 
what  glorious  honors  you  have  achieved  for  our  common 
country.  Tell  them  you  have  extinguished  one  of  the  bright- 
est and  purest  lights  that  ever  burnt  at  the  altar  of  civil 
liberty.  Tell  them  that  you  have  silenced  one  of  the  noblest 
batteries  that  ever  thundered  in  defense  of  the  Constitution, 
and  that  you  have  bravely  spiked  the  cannon.  Tell  them 
that,  henceforward,  no  matter  what  daring  or  outrageous 
act  any  President  may  perform,  you  have  forever  hermetic- 
ally sealed  the  mouth  of  the  Senate.  Tell  them  that  he 
may  fearlessly  assume  what  power  he  pleases, — snatch  from 
its  lawful  custody  the  public  purse,  command  a  military 
detachment  to  enter  the  halls  of  the  Capitol,  overawe  Con- 
gress, trample  down  the  Constitution,  and  raze  every  bul- 
wark of  freedom, — but  that  the  Senate  must  stand  mute,  in 
silent  submission,  and  not  dare  to  lift  an  opposing  voice  ; 
that  it  must  wait  until  a  House  of  Representatives,  humbled 


SELECTIONS.  349 

and  subdued  like  itself,  and  a  majority  of  it  composed  of 
the  partisans  of  the  President,  shall  prefer  articles  of  im- 
peachment. Tell  them,  finally,  that  you  have  restored  the 
glorious  doctrine  of  passive  obedience  and  non-resistance  ; 
and,  when  you  have  told  them  this,  if  the  people  do  not 
sweep  you  from  your  places  with  their  indignation,  I  have 
yet  to  learn  the  character  of  American  freemen  ! 


THE    RIGHT    TO    TAX   AMERICA. 


"BUT,  Mr.  Speaker,  we  have  a  right  to  tax  America." 
Oh,  inestimable  right !  Oh,  wonderful,  transcendent  right  ! 
the  assertion  of  which  has  cost  this  country  thirteen  prov- 
inces, six  islands,  one  hundred  thousand  lives,  and  seventy 
millions  of  money.  Oh,  invaluable  right !  for  the  sake  of 
which  we  have  sacrificed  our  rank  among  nations,  our  im- 
portance abroad,  and  our  happiness  at  home  !  Oh,  right  ! 
more  dear  to  us  than  our  existence  !  which  has  already  cost 
us  so  much,  and  which  seems  likely  to  cost  us  our  all.  In- 
fatuated man  !  miserable  and  undone  country  !  not  to  know 
that  the  claim  of  right,  without  the  power  of  enforcing  it,  is 
nugatory  and  idle.  We  have  a  right  to  tax  America — the 
noble  lord  tells  us — therefore  we  ought  to  tax  America. 
This  is  the  profound  logic  which  comprises  the  whole  chain 
of  his  reasoning. 

Not  inferior  to  this  was  the  wisdom  of  him  who  resolved 
to  shear  the  wolf.  What,  shear  a  wolf !  Have  you  con- 
sidered the  resistance,  the  difficulty,  the  danger  of  the 
attempt  ?  No,  says  the  madman,  I  have  considered  nothing 
but  the  right.  Man  has  a  right  of  dominion  over  the  beasts 
of  the  forest  ;  and  therefore  I  will  shear  the  wolf.  How 
wonderful  that  a  nation  could  be  thus  deluded  !  But  the 
noble  lord  deals  in  cheats  and  delusions.  They  are  the  daily 
traffic  of  his  invention  ;  and  he  will  continue  to  play  off  his 


350  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

cheats  on  this  house,  so  long  as  he  thinks  them  necessary  to 
his  purpose,  and  so  long  as  he  has  money  enough  at  com- 
mand to  bribe  gentlemen  to  pretend  that  they  believe  him. 
But  a  black  and  bitter  day  of  reckoning  will  surely  come  ; 
and  whenever  that  day  comes,  I  trust  I  shall  be  able,  by  a 
parliamentary  impeachment,  to  bring  upon  the  heads  of  the 
authors  of  our  calamities,  the  punishment  they  deserve. 


SOUTH    CAROLINA   IN    THE    REVOLUTION. 


WHAT,  sir,  was  the  conduct  of  the  South  during  the  Revo- 
lution ?  Sir,  I  honor  New  England  for  her  conduct  in  that 
glorious  struggle.  But  great  as  is  the  praise  which  belongs 
to  her,  I  think,  at  least  equal  honor  is  due  to  the  South. 
They  espoused  the  quarrel  of  their  brethren,  with  a  gener- 
ous zeal,  which  did  not  sufifer  them  to  stop  to  calculate  their 
interest  in  the  dispute.  Favorites  of  the  mother  country, 
possessed  of  neither  ships  nor  seamen  to  create  a  commer- 
cial rivalship,  they  might  have  found  in  their  situation  a 
guarantee  that  their  trade  would  be  forever  fostered  and 
protected  by  Great  Britain.  But  trampling  on  all  considera- 
tions either  of  interest  or  of  safety,  they  rushed  into  the  con- 
flict, and  fighting  for  principle,  periled  all  in  the  sacred 
cause  of  freedom.  Never  was  there  exhibited  in  the  history 
of  the  world  higher  examples  of  noble  daring,  dreadful  suf- 
fering, and  heroic  endurance,  than  by  the  Whigs  of  Carolina 
during  the  Revolution.  The  whole  State,  from  the  moun- 
tains to  the  sea,  was  overrun  by  an  overwhelming  force  of 
the  enemy.  The  fruits  of  industry  perished  on  the  spot 
where  they  were  produced,  or  were  consumed  by  the  foe. 
The  "  plains  of  Carolina  "  drank  up  the  most  precious  blood 
of  her  citizens  !  Black  and  smoking  ruins  marked  the 
places  which  had  been  the  habitations  of  her  children  ! 
Driven  from  their  homes  into  the  gloomy  and  almost  im- 


SELECTIONS.  351 

penetrable  swamps,  even  there  the  spirit  of  liberty  survived, 
and  South  Carolina  (sustained  by  the  example  of  her  Sumters 
and  her  Marions)  proved,  by  her  conduct,  that  though  her 
soil  might  be  overrun,  the  spirit  of  her  people  was  invincible. 


EULOGIUM    ON    MASSACHUSETTS. 


SIR,  let  me  fecur  to  pleasing  recollections;  let  me  indulge 
in  refreshing  remembrance  of  the  past  ;  let  me  remind 
you  that,  in  early  times,  no  States  cherished  greater  har- 
mony, both  of  principle  and  feeling,  than  Massachusetts  and 
South  Carolina.  Would  to  God  that  harmony  might  again 
return  !  Shoulder  to  shoulder  they  went  through  the 
Revolution;  hand  in  hand  they  stood  round  the  adminis- 
tration of  Washington,  and  felt  his  own  great  arm  lean  on 
them  for  support.  Unkind  feeling,  if  it  exists — alienation 
and  distrust — are  the  growth,  unnatural  to  such  soils,  of 
false  principles  since  sown.  They  are  weeds,  the  seeds  of 
which  that  same  great  arm  never  scattered. 

Mr.  President,  I  shall  enter  on  no  encomium  upon  Massa- 
chusetts— she  needs  none.  There  she  is — behold  her,  and 
judge  for  yourselves.  There  is  her  history-— the  world 
knows  it  by  heart.  The  past,  at  least,  is  secure.  There  is 
Boston,  and  Concord,  and  Lexington,  and  Bunker  Hill — and 
there  they  will  remain  forever.  The  bones  of  her  sons, 
fallen  in  the  great  struggle  for  Independence,  now  lie  min- 
gled with  the  soil  of  every  State  from  New  England  to 
Georgia— and  there  they  will  lie  forever.  And,  sir,  where 
American  liberty  raised  its  first  voice,  and  where  its  youth 
was  nurtured  and  sustained,  there  it  still  lives,  in  the 
strength  of  its  manhood,  and  full  of  its  original  spirit.  If 
discord  and  disunion  shall  wound  it — if  party  strife  and 
blind  ambition  shall  hawk  at  and  tear  it — if  folly  and  mad- 
ness, if  uneasiness  under  salutary  and  necessary  restraints, 


352  VOICE   CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

shall  succeed  to  separate  it  from  that  Union  by  which  alone 
its  existence  is  made  sure — it  will  stand,  in  the  end,  by  the 
side  of  that  cradle  in  which  its  infancy  was  rocked  ;  it  will 
stretch  forth  its  arm,  with  whatever  vigor  it  may  still  retain, 
over  the  friends  who  gather  round  it ;  and  it  will  fall  at  last, 
if  fall  it  must,  amid  the  proudest  monuments  of  its  own 
glory,  and  on  the  very  spot  of  its  origin  ! 


REPLY  TO  MR.  CORRY. 

GRATTAN. 

HAS  the  gentleman  done  ?  Has  he  completely  done  ? 
He  was  unparliamentary  from  the  beginning  to  the  end  of 
his  speech.  There  was  scarce  a  word  he  uttered  that  was 
not  a  violation  of  the  privileges  of  the  House.  But  I  did  not 
call  him  to  order — why  ?  because  the  limited  talents  of  some 
men  render  it  impossible  for  them  to  be  severe  without  being 
unparliamentary.  But  before  I  sit  down,  I  shall  show  him 
how  to  be  severe  and  parliamentary  at  the  same  time. 

On  any  other  occasion,  I  should  think  myself  justifiable 
in  treating  with  silent  contempt  anything  which  might  fall 
from  that  honorable  member  ;  but  there  are  times,  when  the 
insignificance  of  the  accuser  is  lost  in  the  magnitude  of  the 
accusation.  I  know  the  difficulty  the  honorable  gentleman 
labored  under  when  he  attacked  me,  conscious  that,  on  a 
comparative  view  of  our  characters,  public  and  private,  there 
is  nothing  he  could  say  which  would  injure  me.  The  public 
would  not  believe  the  charge.  I  despise  the  falsehood.  If 
such  a  charge  were  made  by  an  honest  man,  I  would  answer 
it  in  the  manner  I  shall  do  before  I  sit  down.  But  I  shall 
first  reply  to  it,  when  not  made  by  an  honest  man. 

The  right  honorable  gentleman  has  called  me  "an  unim- 
peached  traitor."  I  ask  why  not  "  traitor,"  unqualified  by 
an  epithet  ?  I  will  tell  him,  it  was  because  he  durst  not.  It 
was  the  act  of  a  coward,  who  raises  his  arm  to  strike,  but  has 
not  courage  to  give  the  blow.  1  will  not  call  him  villain, 


SELECTIONS. 


353 


because  it  would  be  unparliamentary,  and  he  is  a  privy  coun- 
selor. I  will  not  call  him  a  fool,  because  he  happens  to  be 
chancelor  of  the  exchequer.  But  I  say,  he  is  one  who  has 
abused  the  privilege  of  parliament,  and  freedom  of  debate, 
by  uttering  language,  which,  if  spoken  out  of  the  House,  I 
should  answer  only  with  a  blow.  I  care  not  how  high  his 
situation,  how  low  his  character,  how  contemptible  his 
speech  ;  \vhether  a  privy  counselor  or  a  parasite,  my  answer 
would  be  a  blow. 

He  has  charged  me  with  being  connected  with  the  rebels. 
The  charge  is  utterly,  totally,  and  meanly  false.  Does  the 
honorable  gentleman  rely  on  the  report  of  the  House  of  Lords 
for  the  foundation  of  his  assertion  ?  If  he  does,  I  can  prove 
to  the  committee,  there  was  a  physical  impossibility  of  that 
report  being  true.  But  I  scorn  to  answer  any  man  for  my 
conduct,  whether  he  be  a  political  coxcomb,  or  \vhether  he 
brought  himself  into  power  by  a  false  glare  of  courage  or  not. 


THE  AMERICAN  REVOLUTION. 

PATRICK   HENRY. 

THEY  tell  us,  sir,  that  we  are  weak,  unable  to  cope  with 
so  formidable  an  adversary.  .  But  when  shall  we  be  stronger  ? 
Will  it  be  the  next  week  or  the  next  year  ?  Will  it  be  when 
we  are  totally  disarmed,  and  when  a  British  guard  shall  be 
stationed  in  every  house  ?  Shall  we  gather  strength  by  irres- 
olution and  inaction  ?  Shall  we  acquire  the  means  of  effect- 
ual resistance  by  lying  supinely  on  our  backs,  and  hugging 
the  delusive  phantom  of  hope,  until  our  enemies  shall  have 
bound  us  hand  and  foot  ? 

Sir,  we  are  not  weak  if  we  make  a  proper  u^e  of  those 
means  which  the  God  of  nature  hath  placed  in  our  power. 
Three  millions  of  people,  armed  in  the  holy  cause  of  liberty, 
and  in  such  a  country  as  that  which  we  possess,  are  invinci- 
ble by  any  force  which  our  enemy  can  send  against  us. 


354  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

Besides,  sir,  we  shall  not  fight  our  battles  alone.  There  is 
a  just  God  who  presides  over  the  destinies  of  nations,  and 
who  will  raise  up  friends  to  fight  our  battles  for  us.  The 
battle,  sir,  is  not  to  the  strong  alone — it  is  to  the  vigilant, 
the  active,  the  brave.  Besides,  sir,  we  have  no  election.  If 
we  were  base  enough  to  desire  it,  it  is  now  too  late  to  retire 
from  the  contest.  There  is  no  retreat  but  in  submission  and 
slavery.  Our  chains  are  forged.  Their  clanking  may  be 
heard  on  the  plains  of  Boston  !  The  war  is  inevitable,  and 
let  it  come  !  I  repeat  it,  sir,  let  it  come  ! 

It  is  vain,  sir,  to  extenuate  the  matter.  Gentlemen  may 
cry  peace,  peace,  but  there  is  no  peace.  The  war  is  actually 
begun  !  The  next  gale  that  sweeps  from  the  North  will 
bring  to  our  ears  the  clash  of  resounding  arms  !  Our  breth- 
ren are  already  in  the  field  !  Why  stand  we  here  idle  ? 
What  is  it  that  gentlemen  "wish  ?  What  would  they  have  ? 
Is  life  so  dear,  or  peace  so  sweet,  as  to  be  purchased  at  the 
price  of  chains  and  slavery  ?  Forbid  it,  Almighty  God  !  I 
know  not  what  course  others  may  take,  but  as  for  me,  give 
me  liberty,  or  give  me  death  ! 


LIBERTY  THE  MEED  OF  INTELLIGENCE. 

CALHOUN. 

SOCIETY  can  no  more  exist  without  government,  in  one 
form  or  another,  than  man  without  society.  Just  in  propor- 
tion as  a  people  are  ignorant,  stupid,  debased,  corrupt, 
exposed  to  violence  within  and  danger  without,  the  power 
necessary  for  government  to  possess,  in  order  to  preserve 
society  against  anarchy  and  destruction,  becomes  greater 
and  greater,  and  individual  liberty  less  and  less,  until  the 
lowest  condition  is  reached,  when  absolute  and  despotic 
power  becomes  necessary  on  the  part  of  the  government, 
and  individual  liberty  extinct.  So,  on  the  contrary,  just  as  a 
people  rise  in  the  scale  of  intelligence,  virtue  and  patriotism, 


SELECTIONS. 


355 


and  the  more  perfectly  they  become  acquainted  with  the 
nature  of  government,  the  ends  for  which  it  was  ordered, 
and  how  it  ought  to  be  administered,  and  the  less  the  ten- 
dency to  violence  and  disorder  within  and  danger  from 
abroad,  the  power  necessary  for  government  becomes  less 
and  less,  and  individual  liberty  greater  and  greater.  Instead, 
then,  of  ail  men  having  the  same  right  to  liberty  and  equal- 
ity, as  is  claimed  by  those  who  hold  that  they  are  all  born 
free  and  equal,  liberty  is  the  noble  and  highest  reward 
bestowed  on  mental  and  moral  development,  combined 
with  favorable  circumstances.  Instead,  then,  of  liberty  and 
equality  being  born  with  man, — instead  of  all  men,  and  all 
classes  and  descriptions,  being  equally  entitled  to  them — 
they  are  high  prizes  to  be  won,  and  are,  in  their  most  per- 
fect state,  not  only  the  highest  reward  that  can  be  bestowed 
on  our  race,  but  the  most  difficult  to  be  won,  and,  when 
won,  the  most  difficult  to  be  preserved. 


THE   CURSE  OF   REGULUS. 

KELLOGG. 

THE  palaces  and  domes  of  Carthage  were  burning  with 
the  splendors  of  noon,  and  the  blue  waves  of  her  harbor 
were  rolling  and  gleaming  in  the  gorgeous  sunlight.  An 
attentive  ear  could  catch  a  low  murmur,  sounding  from  the 
center  of  the  city,  which  seemed  like  the  moaning  of  the 
wind  before  a  tempest.  And  well  it  might.  The  whole 
people  of  Carthage,  startled,  astounded  by  the  report  that 
Regulus  had  returned,  were  pouring-,  a  mighty  tide,  into 
the  great  square  before  the  Senate  House.  There  were 
mothers  in  that  throng,  whose  captive  sons  were  groaning 
in  Roman  fetters  ;  maidens,  whose  lovers  were  dying  in  the 
distant  dungeons  of  Rome  ;  gray-haired  men  and  matrons, 
whom  Roman  steel  had  made  childless  ;  men,  who  were 
seeing  their  country's  life  crushed  out  by  Roman  power  ; 


356  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

and  with  wild  voices,  cursing  and  groaning,  the  vast 
throng  gave  vent  to  the  rage,  the  hate,  the  anguish  of  long 
years. 

Calm  and  unmoved  as  the  marble  walls  around  him,  stood 
Regulus,  the  Roman  !  He  stretched  his  arm  over  the  surg- 
ing crowd  with  a  gesture  as  proudly  imperious,  as  though  he 
stood  at  the  head  of  his  own  gleaming  cohorts.  Before  that 
silent  command  the  tumult  ceased — the  half-uttered  execra- 
tion died  upon  the  lip — so  intense  was  the  silence,  that  the 
clank  of  the  captive's  brazen  manacles  smote  sharp  on  every 
ear,  as  he  thus  addressed  them  : 

"  Ye  doubtless  thought,  judging  of  Roman  virtue  by  your 
own,  that  I  would  break  my  plighted  faith,  rather  than  by 
returning,  and  leaving  your  sons  and  brothers  to  rot  in 
Roman  dungeons,  to  meet  your  vengeance.  Well,  I  could 
give  reasons  for  this  return,  foolish  and  inexplicable  as  it 
seems  to  you  ;  I  could  speak  of  yearnings  after  immortality 
— of  those  eternal  principles  in  whose  pure  light  a  patriot's 
death  is  glorious,  a  thing  to  be  desired  ;  but,  by  great  Jove  ! 
I  should  debase  myself  to  dwell  on  such  high  themes  to  you. 
If  the  bright  blood  which  feeds  my  heart  were  like  the  slimy 
ooze  that  stagnates  in  your  veins,  I  should  have  remained  at 
Rome,  saved  my  life  and  broken  my  oath.  If,  then,  you  ask 
why  I  have  come  back,  to  let  you  work  your  will  on  this  poor 
body  which  I  esteem  but  as  the  rags  that  cover  it — enough 
reply  for  you,  it  is  because  I  am  a  Roman  !  As  such,  here 
in  your  very  capital  I  defy  you  !  What  I  have  clone,  ye  never 
can  undo  ;  what  ye  may  do,  I  care  not.  Since  first  my  young 
arm  knew  how  to  wield  a  Roman  sword,  have  I  not  routed 
your  armies,  burned  your  towns,  and  dragged  your  generals 
at  my  chariot  wheels  ?  And  do  ye  now  expect  to  see  me 
cower  and  whine  with  dread  of  Carthaginian  vengeance  ? 
Compared  to  that  fierce  mental  strife  which  my  heart  has 
just  passed  through  at  Rome,  the  piercing  of  this  flesh,  the 
rending  of  these  sinews,  would  be  but  sport  to  me. 

"Venerable  senators,  with  trembling  voices  and  out- 
stretched hands,  besought  me  to  return  no  more  to  Car- 


SELECTIONS.  357 

thage.  The  generous  people,  with  loud  wailing,  and  wildly- 
tossing  gestures,  bade  me  stay.  The  voice  of  a  beloved 
mother — her  withered  hands  beating  her  breast,  her  gray 
hairs  streaming  in  the  wind,  tears  flowing  down  her  fur- 
rowed cheeks — praying  me  not  to  leave  her  in  her  lonely  and 
helpless  old  age,  is  still  sounding  in  my  ears.  Compared  to 
anguish  like  this,  the  paltry  torments  you  have  in  store  are  as 
the  murmur  of  the  meadow  brook  to  the  wild  tumult  of  the 
mountain  storm.  Go  !  bring  your  threatened  tortures  !  The 
woes  I  see  impending  over  this  fated  city  will  be  enough  to 
sweeten  death,  though  every  nerve  should  tingle  with  its 
agony.  I  die — but  mine  shall  be  the  triumph  ;  yours  the 
untold  desolation.  For  every  drop  of  blood  that  falls  from 
my  veins,  your  own  shall  pour  in  torrents  !  Woe,  unto  thee, 
O  Carthage  !  I  see  thy  homes  and  temples  all  in  flames,  thy 
citizens  in  terror,  thy  women  wailing  for  the  dead.  Proud 
city,  thou  art  doomed  ! — the  curse  of  Jove,  a  living,  lasting 
curse  is  on  thee  !  The  hungry  waves  shall  lick  the  golden 
gates  of  thy  rich  palaces,  and  every  brook  run  crimson  to 
the  sea.  Rome,  with  bloody  hand,  shall  sweep  thy  heart- 
strings, and  all  thy  homes  shall  howl  in  wild  response  of 
anguish  at  her  touch.  Proud  mistress  of  the  sea,  disrobed, 
uncrowned,  and  scourged — thus  again  do  I  devote  thee  to 
the  infernal  gods  \ 

"Now,  bring  forth  your  tortures  !  Slaves  !  while  ye  tear 
this  quivering  flesh,  remember  how  often  Regulus  has  beaten 
your  armies  and  humbled  your  pride.  Cut  as  he  would 
have  carved  you  !  Burn  deep  as  his  curse  ! " 


ABSALOM    BESS. 

SHILLABER. 


A  BENEVOLENT  man  was  Absalom  Bess,- 
At  each  and  every  tale  of  distress 
He  blazed  right  up  like  a  rocket ; 


358  VOICE    CULTURE    AND    ELOCUTION. 

He  felt  for  all  who  'neath  poverty's  smart 
Were  doomed  to  bear  life's  roughest  part, — 
He  felt  for  them  in  his  inmost  heart, 
But  never  felt  in  his  pocket. 

He  didn't  know  rightly  what  was  meant 

By  the  Bible's  promised  four  hundred  per  cent., 

For  charity's  donation  ; 

But  he  acted  as  if  he  thought  railroad  stocks, 
And  bonds  secure  beneath  earthly  locks, 
Were  better,  with  pockets  brim  full  of  rocks, 

Than  heavenly  speculation. 

Yet  all  said  he  was  an  excellent  man  ; 

For  the  poor  he'd  preach,  for  the  poor  he'd  plan,- 

To  better  them  he  was  willing  ; 
But  the  oldest  one  who  had  heard  him  pray, 
And  preach  for  the  poor  in  a  pitiful  way, 
Couldn't  remember,  exactly,  to  say 

He  had  ever  given  a  shilling. 

O,  an  excellent  man  was  Absalom  Bess, 
And  the  world  threw  up  its  hands  to  bless 

W7henever  his  name  was  mentioned  ; 
But  he  died  one  day,,  he  did,  and  O  ! 
He  went  right  down  to  the  shades  below,. 
Where  all  are  bound,  I  fear,  to  go, 

Who  are  only  good  intentioncd. 


INDEX. 


LONGER   QUOTATIONS. 

PAGE 

Accursed  be  the  fagots  that  blaze  at  his  feet 199 

Ah  !  mercy  on  my  soul Prose.  230 

A  hurry  of  hoofs  in  the  village  street 176 

Alack  !    I  am  afraid  they  have  awak'd 226' 

Alas  !  how  light  a  cause 221 

Alas  !  sir,  in  what  have  I  offended  you  ? 231 

All  that  breathe  will  share 235 

Am  I  a  coward  ?     Who  calls  me  villain  ? 235 

And  her  step  was  light  and  airy 203 

And  now  with  shouts 231 

Arm,  gentlemen,  to  arms  ! 186 

Art  thou  a  friend  to  Roderick  ? 228 

Away  '  away  !  and  on  we  dash 176 

Begone  then,  insolent 221 

Bring  flowers,  pale  flowers. 146 

Bring  flowers,  young  flowers 144 

Call  me  their  traitor  ! — Thou  injurious  Tribune 194 

Come,  let  us  plant  the  apple  tree. 216 

Cromwell,  I  charge  thee 225 

De  Quincey  on  the  play  of  Macbeth Prose.  183 

Dire  Scylla  there  a  scene  of  horror  forms 204 

Dost  thou  come  here  to  whine  ? 148 

Fill  again  to  the  brim 230 

Flashed  all  their  sabers  bare 36 

For  he  made  me  mad 188 

Forth  marched  the  chief 183 


360  INDEX. 

PAGE 

Give  thy  thoughts  no  tongue 171 

Good-by  to  flattery's    fawning  face 151 

Halt ! — the  dust-brown  ranks  stood  fast 198 

Haste  thee,  nymph,  and  bring  with  thee 233 

Hear  the  sledges  with  the  bells 176 

He  is  in  the  mighty  deep Prose.  229 

He  said  he  would  not  ransom  Mortimer 231 

How  ill  this  taper  burns 222 

How  sweet  the  chime 200 

How  sweet  the  moonlight  sleeps 200 

I  do  mistrust  thee,  woman 222 

I  found  France  rent  asunder 194 

If  thou  dost  slander  her 226 

I'll  have  my  bond 160 

lo  !  they  come,  they  come  ! 162 

Is  it  not  monstrous,  that  this  player  here 212 

Laugh,  if  you  like  to  ! 213 

Leaves  have  their  time  to  fall 148 

Let  them  pronounce  the  steep  Tarpeian  death 237 

Lo  !  anointed  by  heaven 198 

Lochiel  !  Lochiel  !  beware  of  the  day  ! 237 

Lowliness  is  young  ambition's  ladder 174 

Mark  where  she  stands 227 

My  dream  was  lengthened  after  life , 201 

My  voice  is  still  for  war 219 

News  of  battle  !  news  of  battle  ! 145 

Night,  sable  goddess 146 

Now,  in  an  ancient  town 217 

Now  o'er  the  one  half  world 147 

Now,  my  co-mates 212 

Now  storming  fury  rose 235 

Now  the  world  slopes  away 210 

O  Cromwell  !    Cromwell  ! 234 

Oh,  did  you  hear  what  Master  Walter  says  ? 169 


INDEX.  361 

PAGE 

Oh,  ever  thus,  from  childhood's  hour 236 

Oh,  if  I  only  could  make  you  see 156 

Oh,  my  soul's  joy 219 

Oh,  who  can  hold  a  fire  ? 231 

Oh,  you'd  admire  to  see  Robin  now 214 

O  piteous  spectacle 238 

O  thou  Eternal  one 174 

Our  organ  can  speak 61 

Patricians  !     They  have  pushed  me 193 

Put  out  the  light,  and  then 179 

Quick  !   man  the  life-boat   175 

• 

Raftered  by  firm-laid  consonants 78 

Rather  than  fail,  they  will  defy 234 

Ring  out,  wild  bells 144 

Roll  on  !  thou  dark  and  deep 201 

Small  feet  were  pattering 115 

Soft  is  the  strain 204 

Soldier,  rest  !  thy  warfare  o'er 187 

Some  strange  commotion  is  in  his  brain 38 

So  spoke  the  maiden  Sella 216 

Sydney  Smith  on  Wit Prose.   144 

The  cloud-capped  towers 193 

The  Cynic  is  one Prose.  151 

The  maid  that  broods  o'er  guilty  woes 123 

Then  each,  at  once,  his  falchion  drew 33 

Then  sing,  ye  birds 232 

Then  the  corporal,  our  old  cripple 217 

The  peasant,  whose  lot  was  to  sow 149 

The  perfection  of  the  providence Prose.  215 

The  quality  of  mercy.  ...    219 

The  Rhine  !  the  Rhine  ! 145 

This  royal  throne  of  kings 237 

Thou  art,  O  God    225 

Thou  art  thyself  thine  enemy I78 

Thou  glorious  mirror 236 


362  INDEX. 

PAc^ 

Through  moss  and  through  brake '. .  203 

fTis  midnight's  holy  hour 145 

To-morrow,  and  to-morrow 146 

To  wake  the  soul 193 

Webster  on  the  Union Prise.  167 

We  live  in  deeds,  not  years 187 

What  a  piece  of  work  is  man Prose.  225 

What  !  attribute  the  sacred  sanction ' Prose.  193 

What  is  it  to  me,  if  all  have  stooped  ? 220 

Whence  and  what  art  thou  ? 228 

When  lads  and  lasses  merry  be 165 

When  thoughts  of  the  last  bitter  hour 152 

Who  brands  me  on  the  forehead 35 

Who  is  here  so  base Prose.  226 

Who  was  her  father 169 

Why  would' st  thou  leave  me 155 

With  eyes  upraised 233 

Ye  ice-falls  !  ye  that  from 223 

Yet  while  my  Hector 233 

You  common  cry  of  curs  159 

You  think  because  my  life  is  rude 215 

READINGS  AND   RECITATIONS. 

Absalom  Bess Shillaber.  357 

Advice  to  Speakers -Judge  Story.  244 

Alphabetical  Alliteration,  An 133 

Alas  !     How  Light  a  Cause Moore.  221 

American  Revolution,  The Patrick  Henry.  353 

Barnyard  Melodies Fred.  Emerson  Brooks.  248 

Boudoir  Scene  from  Lucile Bulwer.  218 

Bugle  Song Tennyson.  68 

Catiline's  Defiance Croly.  342 

Charge  of  the  Light  Brigade,  The Tennyson.  315 

Cur  and  the  Tramp,  The Fred  Emerson  Brooks.  312 

Creeds  of  the  Bells Geo.   W.  Bungay.  254 

Crossing  the  Rubicon Knowles.  311 

Curse  of  Regulus,  The ^ellogg.  355 


INDEX. 


363 


PAGE 

Do  It  Yourself 328 

Don't  Run  in  Debt Eliza  Cook.  326 

Dying  Knight,  The 322 

Eulogium  on  Massachusetts Webster.  351 

Exercise  in  Pronunciation 135 

Expunging  Resolution,  1837,  The Clay.  347 

False  Friendship Croly.  220 

Field  of  Waterloo,  The Byron.  301 

Frog  and  the  Frenchman,  The Fred.  Emerson  Brooks.  297 

Funny  Story,  The .Josephine  Pollard.  276 

Golden  Gate,  The Madge  Morris.  269 

Grannam  and  Blue  Eyes John  Vance  Cheney.  309 

Hamlet's  Advice  to  the  Players Shakespeare.  243 

Henry  V.  to  the  Conspirators Shakespeare.  275 

Hero  of  Lake  Erie,  The  . . . Fred.  Emerson  Brooks.  251 

How  Love  Came  Flying  in  at  the  Window 272 

Hunchbacked  Singer,  The 271 

If  We  Knew 308 

Ignorance  in  our  Country  a  Crime Horace  Mann.  337 

Incident  at  Sea,  An Wm.  T.  Ross.  262 

Infinite  Mother,  The   James  G.  Clark.  264 

Isle  of  Long  Ago,  The. B.  F.  Taylor.  294 

Jennie  M'Neal,  The  Ride  of Will  Carleton.  259 

Kitchen  Clock,  The John  Vance  Cheney.  246 

Lasca F.  Desprez.  334 

Let  Us  Try  To  Be  Happy 344 

Liberty  and  Union Webster.  325 

Liberty  the  Meed  of  Intelligence Calhoun.  354 

Luella John  Vance  Cheney.  286 

Marion  Moore James  G.  Clark.  282 

Marco  Bozzaris   Halleck.  345 

Marullus  to  the  Roman  Populace Shakespeare.  325 

Miracle  of  Cana,  The Fred.  Emerson  Brooks.  284 

Money  Musk B.  F.   Taylor.  292 

Napoleon  Bonaparte Phillips.  317 

Order  for  a  Picture,  An Alice  Cary.  256 

Our  Folks Ethel  Lynn.  340 

Parallel  Between  Pope  and  Dryden Dr.  Samuel  Johnson.  330 

Petrified  Fern,  The 263 


364  INDEX. 

PAGE 

Popular  Elections. George  M'Duffie.  329 

Power  of  Habit,  The .John  B.  Gough.  299 

Quality  of  Mercy,  The Shakespeare.  219 

Rain  on  the  Roof Coates  Kinney.  310 

Reply  to  Mr.  Corry Grattan.  3-=  2 

Right  to  Tax  America,  The .Burke.  349 

Sheriff  Thorne .J.  T.  Tro-wbtidge.  266 

Similar  Case,  A 318 

Smiting  the  Rock 287 

Song  of  the  Mystic Father  Ryan.  290 

South  Carolina  in  the  Revolution.    Hayne.  350 

Speech  of  Sempronius Addison.  219 

Spinning- Wheel  Song,  The.  . .John  F.  Waller.  277 

Teamster  Jim Robert  J.  Burdette.  303 

Tell's  Apostrophe  to  the  Alps Knowles.  321 

Tell  on  His  Native  Hills Knowles.  307 

Three  Days  in  the  Life  of  Columbus . .  .Delavigne.  338 

Tom Constance  Fenimore  Woolson.  295 

Trouble  in  the  Amen  Corner T.  C*  Harbaugh.  279 

Truth  in  Parenthesis Hood.  320 

Under  the  Daisies 319 

Uses  of  Adversity Shakespeare.  212 

What  Constitutes  a  State Sir  William  Jones.  274 

What  My  Lover  Said Homer  Greene.  305 

Wind  and  the  Moon,  The Geo.  Macdonald.  331 

Wit,  Its  Effects  on  Different  Characters Sydney  Smith.  144 

Worldly  Wisdom Ethel  Lynn.  283 

LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Back  View  of  the  Larynx Plate  IV.  48 

Exercise  for  Flexibility  of  Voice 71 

Front  View  of  Larynx Plate  III.  47 

Image  of  Vocal  Apparatus "     VI.  54 

Lungs,  Bronchi,  Trachea,  and  Larynx "      II.  46 

Mouth  and  Lip  Exercise 73 

Section  of  the  Human  Body Plate  I.  44 

Section  of  Larynx  as  seen  from  above V.  49 

Tongue  Exercise 72 

Tongue,  Lip,  and  Palatal  Exercise 74 

Vowel  Practice 75 


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